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1. The effect of background illumination on response pattern is correlated with its effect on visual sensitivity by analysing post-stimulus time-histograms obtained from single ganglion cells in the cat's retina at various levels of background illumination between zero and 2 x 10⁶ photons (wave-length 523 nm).sec^-1.deg^-2 (via 5·7 mm² pupil).

2. If background illumination did not exceed a critical value, about 10³ photons (523 nm).sec^-1.deg^-2 (via 5·7 mm² pupil), stimulation of the centre of a receptive field resulted in either sustained excitation (i.e. increase in discharge rate) during `on' and cessation of the excitation at `off' (on-centre unit), or sustained inhibition (i.e. decrease in discharge rate) during `on' and cessation of the inhibition at `off' (off-centre unit). Within this low adaptational level, a ganglion cell maintained its maximum sensitivity regardless of whether the weak background light was presented or not.

3. When background level exceeded the critical value up to 2 x 10⁶ photons (523 nm).sec^-1.deg^-2, however, the simple, sustained responses changed into compound responses with two transient components of opposite polarities, either excitation at `on' and inhibition at `off' (on-centre unit), or inhibition at `on' and excitation at `off' (off-centre unit), and also the sensitivity began to decrease as the background increased, approximately obeying Weber's law.

4. It is suggested that a ganglion cell gives simple-sustained response when its gain control mechanism remains inactive at a low background illumination below a critical level, whereas it gives compound-transient response when its gain control mechanism becomes active as background illumination exceeds the critical value.

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