Primary Visual Cortex
Overview In many ways, primary visual cortex can be thought of as our mind’s eye. It sits at a pivotal location in our visual system, such that losing primary visual…
Processing in the Lateral Geniculate Nucleus
The lateral geniculate nucleus: the gateway to conscious visual perception Located one synapse from the retina, the lateral geniculate nucleus (LGN) of the thalamus is the main link between eye…
Visual Processing in the Inner Retina
The bulk of the retina’s computing hardware is located in the inner retina. Here, dozens of neural circuits allow the retina to detect subtle changes in brightness, contrast, color, and…
Development of Retinogeniculate Projections
Introduction The dorsal lateral geniculate nucleus of the thalamus (LGN) is the gateway through which visual information is transmitted from the retina to the cortex; therefore, conscious visual perception relies…
Extrastriate Visual Cortex
Introduction to the extrastriate cortex The goal in this chapter is to develop a basic understanding of the function of extrastriate cortex. This is a collection of brain regions concerned…
Color Vision
The ability to perceive color is a highly valued sensory capacity, and it has been a subject of experimental inquiry for over 200 years. Before the development of modern biological…
Regulation of Light Through the Pupil
The pupil is a dynamic aperture that regulates the entry of light destined for the retina. Its usefulness is illustrated by the fact that it is a relatively conserved structure…
Ganglion-Cell Photoreceptors
Overview Since the turn of this century, compelling evidence has emerged for a novel class of photoreceptors in the mammalian retina. These neurons are ganglion cells that express the photopigment…
Optic Nerve
Introduction The optic nerves carry the axons of retinal ganglion cells (RGCs), and these axons transmit all the visual information from the inner retina to the brain. The retina and…
Overview of the Central Visual Pathways
The eye is a complex organ responsible for collecting, focusing, and processing light. Modern genetic analysis indicates that there are many different classes of ganglion cells in the retina that…
