Introduction The two optic nerves carry the axons of retinal ganglion cells (RGCs), and along these axons transmit all of the visual information from the inner retina ( Chapter 23…

The lateral geniculate nucleus: the gateway to conscious visual perception Conscious perception requires the visual information that passes through the dorsal lateral geniculate nucleus (LGN) in primates. Although the retina…

The role of the central visual pathways is to process and integrate visual information that travels to the brain by means of the optic nerves. Although the eye is responsible…

Introduction The electroretinogram (ERG) is a useful tool for objective, non-invasive assessment of retinal function both in the clinic and the laboratory. It is a mass electrical potential that represents…

The pupillary opening appears to occupy a central location, but if carefully measured, it is actually situated slightly inferior and nasal to the center of the cornea. Thus, the pupil…

Overview In the past decade, compelling evidence has emerged for a novel class of photoreceptors in the mammalian retina. These neurons are ganglion cells that express the photopigment melanopsin and…

The inner plexiform layer (IPL) is the second synaptic layer of the retina ( Fig. 23.1 ) and the final stage for processing visual information before it leaves the eye….

Light-evoked hyperpolarizing signals in rods and cones are transmitted to and processed by neurons in the rest of the retina through a complex, but highly organized network of electrical and…

Retinal rods and cones are highly specialized neurons that respond to light with an electrical signal (see Chapter 18 ) and provide the sensory input for vision. In contrast to…

The basic architecture, signal flow, and neurochemistry of signaling through the vertebrate retina is well-understood: photoreceptors, bipolar cells (BCs), and ganglion cells (GCs) are all thought to be glutamatergic neurons…