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…

1 Vision from starlight to sunlight The human visual system operates effectively over an enormously wide range of intensities, of at least a billion-fold, from around 10 −4 cd m −2…

Introduction The sensory innervation of the eye is provided by the peripheral axons of primary sensory neurons located in the trigeminal ganglion. The sensory nerves enter the eyeball mainly through…

Overview Phototransduction is the series of biochemical events that lead from photon capture by a photoreceptor cell to its hyperpolarization and slowing of neurotransmitter release at the synapse. This overall…

Introduction In ocular therapeutics, the current literature describes drug delivery limitations posed by outward directed transport mechanisms of the eye. Drug delivery to ocular tissues is restricted by various factors…

1 Tear film overview The tear film overlays the ocular surface, which is comprised of the corneal and conjunctival epithelia, and provides the interface between these epithelia and the external…