Retina Flashcards
what does the retina fo
light sensitive tissue - lining the inner surface of the eye
conversion of light into an impulse (phototransuction)
transmits impulses to the brain (conduction)
where does light travel to once it gets to the retina
- light has to travel all the way through to reach the photoreceptors which are in the outer retina
- and then the neural impulse has to travel all the way back through the layers to the ganglion cell layers to reach the optic nerve
- light goes through all the layers of the retina and then the impulse goes back out
where is the inner retina located
- towards the virteous - towards the centre of the globe
where is the outer retina located
towards the sclera
what is located in your outer retina
- photoreceptors are in your outer retina
- retinal pigmented epithelium is in the outer retina
light has to pass through to reach the outer retina
what is the function of the pigmented outer layer
outer layer = a single layer of pigmented cells which absorbs light and prevents light scatter within the eye ball- (retinal pigmented epithelium)
what is the function of the inner neural layer
- contains photoreceptors
- rods and cones
and neural cells
posteriolly located - optic retina - anterioly the pigmented layer continues but not the neural layer non - visual retina
light has to pass through the ganglion cells to reach pigmented layer and rods and cones
where does light have to pass through to reach the pigmented layer of rods and cones
- light has to pass through retinal ganglion cells to reach the pigmented layer of rods and cones to be phototransduced into a neural impulse
describe the macroscopic structure of the neural retina
neural retina is attached at the
ora serrata
margins of the optic nerve head
bound externally by bruchs membrane and internally by the virteous
continues with the optic nerve posterioly (exit site of ganglion cell axons from the eye)
thickness varies from 0.56mm near the optic disc to 0.1mm in the ora serrata
what is the ora serrata
- the ora serrata is a serrated junction between the retina and the pars plana of the cillary body
transition from simple non receptive tissue to multilayered photosensitive tissue
describe the macroscopic structure of the posterior pole
where most of our central vision happens
- ‘’area centralis’’
between superior and inferior arteries
cone dominated
it is subdivided into the macula, fovea and foveola
describe the macroscopic structure of the macula lutea
5.5mm diametre area
3mm lateral to the optic disc
surrounds the fovea (an area within the macula which has high acuity vision)- and a higher cone density
lutea = yellow from yellow xanthophyll cartotenoid pigments in cone axons
describe the macroscopic structure of the fovea centralis
- 1.55 diameter zone in the maccula
- depression surrounded by slightly thickened margins
area of finest detail vision
- no blood vessles - avascular - if light has to reach down towards the outer layer (photoreceptors) then you dont want blood vessles blocking the light
- maximal conc of cones
- no rods
describe the function of the optic disc
this is where all of our axons leave the eye
- because of that their is no photoreceptors - and it therefore forms a blind spot in our vision
the optic disc = 20 degrees from the fovea - and that corresponds with a blind spot that = 20 degrees from our blind spot of our centre of vision
- 1.55mm and 3mm medial to the fovea
central retinal artery and vein enter and leave the eye
describe the nerve fibres anterior to the optic disc
the nerve fibres anterior to the optic disc (within the eye) are non myelinated
the nerve fibres posterior to the optic disc - are myelinated (the ones that go to the brain)
forms an anatomical boundary between the myelinated and unmyelinated axons
describe the peripheral retina
remainder of the retina outside the posterior pole
rich in rods fewer cones - wheras at the fovea you have a high concentration of cones - optic disc has no rods or cones
only one layer of ganglion cell bodies
describe the neural retina
neural retina is firmly attached at the ora serrata and margins of the optic disc
where does the area centralis/ posterior pole lie
area centralis / posterior pole lies between the superior and inferior temporal arteries and is cone dominated
where does the maccular lutea lie and what is it responsible for
macula lutea lies within the area centralis/posterior pole and is responsible for high acuity vision
where is the fovea located
- the fovea is a depression within the maccula containing maximal cone concentrations
what happens and the optic disc and decribe the nerve fibres anterior and posterior to the optic disc
optic disc is where the retinal ganglion cell axons leave the retina and therefore is a blind spot
anterior to the nerve fibres = non myleinated and posterior to the nerve fibres = myelinated
where does the peripheral retina lie and what does it contain
the peripheral retina lies outside the posterior pole and it contains higher rod density
what happens in the outer layer of the retina
phototransduction - the conversion of light to neural impulses
- light comes down to the photoreceptors - you have the retinal pigmented epithelium which prevents light scatter - the rods and cones which are photoreceptors convert light into a neural impulse - they synapse in the outer plexiform layer with the bipolar cells and the ganglion cells where they synapse - and then the ganglion cell axons travel continously with the optic nerve where it is sent back to the brain for processing and analysis
list the names of the layers of the retina
inner limiting membrane nerve fibre layer ganglion cell layer inner plexiform layer inner nuclear layer outer plexiform layer outer nuclear layer external limiting membrane photoreceptor layer retinal pigmented epithelium
what are the three different cell types in the retina
- photoreceptors - rods and cones
(responsible for transduction)
neuronal cells
biopolar
horizontal
amacrine
retinal ganglion cells
responsible for conduction
gial cells - mullers cells, astrocytes - responsible for support
where are the rods and cones situated
rods and cones are situated on the outer retina in the retinal pigmented epithelium
- specalised neurons which convert light into neural impulses (phototransduction) - comversion of light into a nerual impulse
describe the structure of photoreceptors
- inner and outer segment seperated from the cell body by the external limiting membrane
inner segment has lots of mitchondria
- the outer segment- contains photopigments - opsins - responsible for phototransduction - (where light gets turned into a nerual impulse)
axons pass into the outer plexiform layer where they synapse with bipolar and horizontal cells
where are opsins located
in the outersegment of photoreceptors
opsins convert light into a action potential
what does the outer nuclear layer contain
the outer nuclear layer contains the cell bodies of the rod and cone cells
what is the external limiting membrane
situated at between the photoreceptors and the cell bodies of the rods and cones (outer nuclear layer)
- provides mechanical support to the retina
- made up primarily of mullers cells (retinal glial cells)
describe the structure and fucntion of rods
115 million in each eye
100- 120um long
black and white vision (sense contrast, brightness and motion)
max spectral sensitivity = 496nm (referring to wavelengths of light
photopigment = rhodopsin
you have a lot more of them because the peripheral retina -which is a lot more of your eye - contains a higher density of rods and cones
what photopigment do the rods contain
- rods contain the photopigment - rhodopsin- rhodopsin contains retinal and scotopsin
describe the structure and function of cones
- 6.5 million ( you have fewer cones than rods but they are more important than rods)
- 60- 75 micrometres long
fine resolution , spatial resolution and colour vision -
their density is highest in the centre of our vision
what photopigments do your cones have
you have 3 types of opsin - so we are able to appreciate colour - short wavelength (blue)
medium wavelength (green)
long wavelength (red)
what is disc shedding
discs are in the outer segements of photoreceptors and they contain all the opsins
recycling of photopigment occurs in the rpe and takes picoseconds
discs are constantly made and broken down
shed at once in the early morning
what is phototransduction - what happens in dark conditions
- the conversion of light into a action potential
in dark conditions - their is no light hitting your photoreceptors
relatively depolarised
in their depolarised state they release glutamate which is inhibitory neurotransmitter
in the dark you dont want photoreceptors to be firing of signals so you release an inhibitory neurotransmitter
in light conditions describe the process of phototransduction
- you have a cascade that is initiated by a photon in the photopigment in the rods this would be (rhodopsin) this hyperpolarises the photoreceptor
stops the release of glutatmate- and therefore that generates an impulse
it is a graded response- greater light intensity (more photons) arriving in your photoreceptor results in a greater reduction in neurotransmitter release and therefore a larger impulse
describe the process of phototransduction
- phototranduxtion = a process that occurs in the retina where light is converted into electrical impulses that can be understood by the nervous system
- primarily takes place in photoreceptor cells where their are two types - rods and cones
phototransduction in rods - positively charged sodium ions flow into rod cells - causes cells to be in a depolarised state leading to the continous release of the neurotransmitter glutamate - inside the rod cell their is a substance called rodopsin which is made up from opsin and retinal
- when their is a light stimulus present gultamate release is inhibited
what is the main function of photoreceptors
photoreceptors convert light into neural impulses via phototransduction - they are formed of an axon seperated form the inner and outer segment of the external limiting membrane
what does the outer segment and inner segments of photoreceptors contain
the outersegments are where we have the discs and is where the phototransduction happens
the inner segment contains mitchondria
what are the functions of rods and what is their photopigment called
rods give black and white/ night vision and sense contrast - their opsin is called rhodopsin
what are the functions of cones and what are their opsins called
cones give fine resolution and colour vision - they have three opsins absorbing different wavelengths to provide a visible spectrum
where are the cell bodies of photoreceptors located
cell bodies of photoreceptors are in the outer nuclear layer
how are discs renewed
discs are constantly renewed viewing disc shedding to ensure continued unbroken vision
when does phototransduction take place
phototransudction takes place when opsins absorb a photon causing a cascade resulting in hyperpolarisation of the cell and cessation of glutamate release which is a inhibitory neurotransmitter
describe the retinal pigmented epithelium
continous monolayer of cuboidal/coloumnar epitheliel cells
basal aspect lies on bruchs membrane
apical surface associated with photoreceptor outer segments