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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
The vascular system of the eye The vascular system transports oxygen and metabolites in the human body, ensures thermoregulation of the body and its organs, and is responsible for waste…
Introduction “There is no other portion of physiological optics where one finds so many differing and contradictory ideas as concerns the accommodation of the eye, where in the most recent…
Retinal rods and cones are highly specialized neurons that transform light into an electrical signal (see Chapter 18 ) and provide the sensory input for vision. In contrast to most…
