A Nonlinearity in the Inhibitory Interactions in the Lateral Eye of Limulus

Abstract

Receptor units in the eye of the horseshoe crab are more sensitive to lateral inhibition at some levels of excitation than they are at others. As a result, the steady-state inhibition of the response of a given unit is not directly proportional to the response levels of neighboring units. This effect may be represented by the introduction of a nonlinearity in the Hartline-Ratliff system of equations. The nonlinear inhibitory effect appears to increase the operating range of the receptor units.