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. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2010 Oct 15.
Published in final edited form as: Neuron. 2010 Apr 15;66(1):15–36. doi: 10.1016/j.neuron.2010.01.018

Figure 4. Multiple contact synapses.

Figure 4

A. Portion on a cone pedicle in the outer plexiform layer, showing its synapses with processes of multiple horizontal, ON bipolar and OFF bipolar cells. Ribbon, structure at the active zone of these synapses specialized for tonic transmitter release.

B. Tetrad in Drosophila lamina, showing synapses of photoreceptor axon on processes of L1, L2 and amacrine (am) cell dendrites. Like the vertebrate photoreceptor, that of Drosophila contains an unusually large presynaptic specialization, in this case a T-bar (T). Schematic is simplified to show all postsynaptic elements in the same plane; L1 and L2 are paired equatorially while the am elements are paired in polar positions. In some cases, one amacrine cell process is replaced with a process from L3.