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The Visual System: Retinal Mechanisms. Lecture 14. The light stimulus. Electromagnetic energy visible light 350 – 700 nm (violet – red) Photon Wave Color (hue) - wavelength Brightness (intensity) – amplitude ~. Color. Wavelength. Amplitude. Brightness. Visual Pathway. Optic Nerve.
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The Visual System:Retinal Mechanisms Lecture 14
The light stimulus • Electromagnetic energy • visible light • 350 – 700 nm (violet – red) • Photon • Wave • Color (hue) - wavelength • Brightness (intensity) – amplitude ~
Color Wavelength Amplitude Brightness
Visual Pathway Optic Nerve Optic Chiasm Optic Tract LGN LGN Lateral Geniculate Nucleus (Thalamus) Optic Radiations V1 V1 Primary Visual Cortex LVF RVF Retina
Retinal Organization • Photoreceptors (PR) • transduction • Bipolar cells (BP) • no APs • Retinal ganglion cells (RGC) • 1st APs in pathway • Amacrine & Horizontal cells • communication b/n retinal cells • parallel to retina ~
Retinal Organization Light Which direction does the light enter? PR BP RGC Optic Nerve
Photoreceptors (PR) • Transduction • Rods • achromatic • Cones • color ~
Photoreceptors - PR • Dark current • Depolarized in dark • Na+ influx • NT is released • BP • inhibited ~
Photoreceptors - PR • Light strikes PR • Receptor potential • hyperpolarization • NT release • BP depolarizes • NT release • Excites RGC • APs ~
Rods • Around edges of retina • 120 million • Pigment = rhodopsin • Convergence • high sensitivity • low acuity ~
Cones • Color vision - 3 types • red = long wavelength • green = medium • blue = short • 6 million • Concentrated in fovea • Little convergence • low sensitivity • high acuity ~
Receptive Field (RF) • Region of the retina where... • changes in illumination... • will change the activity of a particular neuron • Center-Surround Organization • BP • RGC • LGN neurons • convergence ~
Center-Surround Organization BP RGC PR
Center-Surround Organization 2 arrangements ON OFF OFF ON
Center-Surround Organization • Light strikes On area of RF • RGC excited APs • Light strikes Off • RGC inhibited APs • Contrast maximal effects on RGC • center & surround lighted cancels out ~
Dark Light PR PR - - H - BP BP + + G G Lateral Inhibition • Center-surround RF • Horizontal cells • no APs • PR stimulates HC • inhibit adjacent BPs • Enhances contrast ~ + Surround Center