Adaptation of human cone receptors: Recordings of cone a-waves

Abstract

Boynton and Whitten1 were the first to attempt a quantitative description of the physiology of of primate cone adaptation. Using Brown's technique2 to isolate the summed receptor potential responsible for the cone a-wave of the monkey's ERG, they concluded that substantial adaptation occurred at the level of the cone receptor. The amount of adaptation and the mechanisms involved, however, are still open to debate. Here we focus on the mechanisms of adaptation of human cone receptors.