Visual System: Overview of Visual Pathway

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Visual System: Overview of Visual Pathway

optic nerve

optic chiasm

optic tract

optic nerve

optic chiasm

optic tract

V1

lateral view medial view

V1

lateral view medial view

calcarine sulcus

Visual System: Eye

Optics of eye

1. Want to see over a huge range of light levels

2. Need a wide visual field

3. Want high resolution image

Vision Challenges

photoreceptor

neurotransmitter release

Phototransduction cascade:

Several kinds of protein molecules change shape

Second messenger (cGMP) gets cleaved

Na+ channels close

Voltage inside photoreceptor goes more negative

Neurotransmitter release decreases

Pencil-sharpening cascade

Phototransduction cascade, key points:

Massive amplification of signal

Slow

Output (transmitter release) is graded

neurotransmitter release

Phototransduction cascade, key points:

Massive amplification of signal

Slow

Output (transmitter release) is graded

Same in cones as in rods

CONE PROPERTIES

Not very sensitive – daytime only

NEVER saturate

Good acuity

Provide color vision (humans)

ROD PROPERTIES

Very sensitive – dusk, night

Saturate in moderate-bright light

Poor acuity

No color vision

CONE PROPERTIES

Not very sensitive – daytime only

NEVER saturate

Good acuity

Provide color vision (humans)

Distribution of photoreceptors across retinacr

oss-

sect

ion

thro

ugh

oute

r se

gmen

ts o

f ro

ds &

con

es

cone

midget ganglion cells

bipolar cells

Retinal ganglion cells have center-surround receptive fields – why?

center

surround

responsestimulus

time

OFF retinal ganglion cell: receptive field, stimuli, and responses

Mach bands

Cone photopigments, human

cone

midget retinal ganglion cells

green cone

ON midget retinal ganglion cell

Retinal ganglioncell receptive fields

green on-center

green off-center

red on-center

red off-center

blue on-center

black & white on-center

black & white off-center

green cone

OFF midget retinal ganglion cell

Retinal ganglioncell receptive fields

green on-center

green off-center

red on-center

red off-center

blue on-center

black & white on-center

black & white off-center

red cone

ON midget retinal ganglion cell

Retinal ganglioncell receptive fields

green on-center

green off-center

red on-center

red off-center

blue on-center

black & white on-center

black & white off-center

red cone

OFF midget retinal ganglion cell

Retinal ganglioncell receptive fields

green on-center

green off-center

red on-center

red off-center

blue on-center

black & white on-center

black & white off-center

blue-on retinal ganglion cell

blue cone

Retinal ganglioncell receptive fields

green on-center

green off-center

red on-center

red off-center

blue on-center

black & white on-center

black & white off-center

green & red cones

ON parasol retinal ganglion cell

Retinal ganglioncell receptive fields

green on-center

green off-center

red on-center

red off-center

blue on-center

black & white on-center

black & white off-center

green & red cones

OFF parasol retinal ganglion cell

Retinal ganglioncell receptive fields

green on-center

green off-center

red on-center

red off-center

blue on-center

black & white on-center

black & white off-center

Retinal ganglioncell receptive fields

green on-center

green off-center

red on-center

red off-center

blue on-center

black & white on-center

black & white off-center

85%

Subcortical Visual System: LGN

left eye’svisual field

right eye’svisual field

binocular visual field

binocular visual field

binocular visual field

The visual system is a completely crossed system

visual field

visual field

macaque monkey LGN

section through LGN(macaque monkey)

retinotopic map in left LGN

visual field

input from contralateral eyeinput from ipsilateral eye

ON cells

OFF cells

Each LGN layer contains a unique cell population

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