Opthalmology Flashcards
describe the extracranial visual pathway
optic nerve converges and receives impulses from photoreceptors
this optic nerve leaves bony orbit and enters cranial cavity
describe the intracranial visual pathway
optic nerve from each eye meets at optic chiasm
fibres from the medial half of each retina cross over to contralateral optic tract
fibres from lateral half of each retina remain ipsilateral
these fibres meet at LGN
What is the lateral geniculate nucleus (LGN)?
projection of thalamus that meets with the optic nerve
what fibres make up left optic tract?
retinal fibres:
left lateral and
right medial fibres
what fibres make up right optic tract?
retinal fibres:
right lateral and
left medial
where do the optic tracts meet and synapse in the thalamus?
lateral geniculate nucleus (LGN)
What do axons from the LGN do and where do they go?
axons from the LGN carry visual info via pathway called optic radiation
Describe upper optic radiation
fibres carried from superior retinal quadrant
travels through parietal lobe to Primary visual cortex (PVC)
Describe lower optic radiaiton
fibres carried from inferior retinal quadrant
travels through temporal lobe (Meyers loop) to Primary visual cortex
when info at PVC then brain processes this info
Which cells process high intensity light?
cone cells
Which cells process low intensity light?
rod cells
What is lens structure and function?
muscle which refracts light to fall onto retina
Function of aqueous & vitreous humour?
aqueous: supplies nutrients to eyeball - anterior
vitreous: transmits light, nutrient supply - posterior
Function of cornea?
mainly responsible for light refraction
initial refraction onto lens, which then refracts it onto retina
What is the choroid layer?
middle layer between the sclera (outer) and retina (inner)
contains melanocytes to absorb colour
What is the retina?
inner layer which contains photoreceptos
How does light focus on the retina?
as light moves from air to eye
passes through cornea, aqueous humour, lens, vitreous humour
then passes through an entire neural layer
to excite the photoreceptors that are next to the
pigmented layer
What is the fovea and why is VA high here?
centre of macula where visual acuity is the highest due to high no of cone cells
What is the macula?
part of retina at back of eye which contains high no of rod + cone cells
allows us to see fine details in centre of visual field
What are some causes of acute red eye?
subconjunctival haemorrhage
keratitis
conjunctivitis
What are the extrinsic eye muscles and functions?
lateral rectus - moves eye laterally
medial rectus - moves eye medially
superior rectus - upwards
inferior rectus - downwards
superior oblique - down and out
inferior oblique - up and out
Which cranial nerves innervate the extrinsic eye muscles?
lateral rectus - VI abducens
medial rectus - III oculomotor
superior rectus - III oculomotor
inferior rectus - III oculomotor
superior oblique - IV trochlear
inferior oblique - III oculomotor
LR6 SO4 R3
Which CN innervates the levator palpabrae superioris muscle (eyelid)?
CN III - Oculomotor
What happens when light enters the eye? Describe the entire process.
it passes retina (nerves) unaffected
travel straight to choroid
bounces back onto retina
light falls on rods and cones
these photoreceptors pick up the light and send signals to bipolar cells
bipolar cells relay to ganglion cells
send the nerve along the surface of the retina to optic nerve
optic nerves meet at optic chiasm
signal then enters thalamus then goes to visual cortex