Retinal Phototransduction Flashcards
What structure does the following statement describe?
A spherical and avascular, white dense connective tissue that covers the globe posterior to the cornea.
Sclera
Which structure provides a strong tough external framework to protect the delicate optic and neural structures?
sclera
What structure does the following statement describe?
A mechanically strong and transparent connective tissue that covers the anterior 1/6 surface of the eye
Corea
What is the post powerful focusing element of the eye?
The cornea
What structure does the following statement describe?
A specialized epithelial tissue that is responsible for fine-tuning the image that is projected on the retina
the lens
Where is the lens of the eye located?
Inside the eye, surrounded by aqueous humor
What stabilizes the lens and allows for accommodation?
Elastin based zonular fibrils
What do these three structure compose?
Choriod, ciliary body, iris
Uveal tract
What structure does the following statement describe?
Capillary bed nourishing the photoreceptors and outer retina.
choroid
What structure does the following statement describe?
A structure composed of the ciliary muscle, controlling the refractive power of the lens, and a vascular component, that produces the aqueous humor filling the anterior chamber
Ciliary body
What structure does the following statement describe?
Colored portion of the eye, seen through the cornea
Iris
What does the Iris contain?
It contains 2 sets of muscles with opposing actions that allow the size of the pupil to be adjusted.
What is the anterior chamber?
Volume behind the cornea and in front of the lens. It is filled with aqueous humor
What is the posterior chamber?
region between the vitreous and the lens
What structure does the following statement describe?
Clear watery liquid that nourishes the cornea and lens and produced by the ciliary body
Aqueous humor
What structure does the following statement describe?
Thick gelatinous substance filling the space between the back of the lens and the surface of the retina
Vitreous humor
What structure does the following statement describe?
Contains neurons that absorb light and process visual information in the images and send that information to the brain
Retina
What is the macula?
Oval spot containing a yellow pigment
What is the fovea?
Small depression at the center of the macula (has high spacial acuity)
What structure does the following statement describe?
Whitish circular are where retinal axons leave the eye and travel through the optic nerve to targets in the midbrain and thalamus
Optic disk
Where do blood vessels supplying the inner retina enter the eye?
optic disc
What is the blood supply to the eye?
Ophthalmic artery (anterior segment and retinal system)
What are cataracts?
Clouding of the lens that affects vision. There is a disruption of the order of the organization of the lens cell fibers or aggregation of the proteins within them can destroy transparency of the cell
What are the symptoms of cataracts?
hazy vision, poor night vision, glare and faded colors
What is the treatment for cataracts?
surgical removal of the cloudy lens and replacement with an artificial lens
What is glaucoma?
A group of diseases that damage the eye’s optic nerve and can result in vision loss (peripheral at first)
Is glaucoma reversible?
No, it is not
What are the types of glaucoma?
Normal tension, open- angle, closed- tension
What is a major risk factor for glaucoma?
Elevated eye pressure, thin cornea, abnormal optic nerve anatomy, high blood pressure
Describe the structure of the retina
Organized layers of neurons (3 nuclear layers, 2 plexiform layers, 1 fiber layer)
1) Ganglion layer
2) Inner plexiform layer
3) Inner nuclear layer
4) Outer plexiform layer
5) Outer nuclear layer
What are teh 5 types of neurons in the retina?
Photoreceptors, horizontal cells, bipolar cells, amacrine cells, ganglion cells
Where is pigmented epithelium found and what is its function?
It is found behind the photoreceptors and acts as a backstop for light and maintains phototransduction machinery of photoreceptors by recycling photoreceptor discs
How does neurotransmission occur in the retina?
cells along the vertical path release glutamate
cells mediating lateral information transmission release GABA or glycineric