Term: retinal amacrine cell

Definition: The name amacrine cell was given by Cajal to cells that have no axon. He observed such cells not only in the retina but also in other parts of the brain. In the retina none of the amacrine cells appear to have have axons or axonlike processes, with the possible exception of the so-called association amacrine observed by Cajal (Ramon y Cajal, 1892, 1911) in the bird retina; this amacrine cell type may be a short-axon amacrine cell similar to the short-axon horizontal cell. Usually all the processes of a single anacrine cell look similar when viewed in Golgi-stained material by light microscopy.