The Retina Flashcards
why is the optic disk a blindspot?
as there are no photoreceptors in that area
what is the macula lutea?
a yellow spot on the retina that’s due to an accumulation of retinal carotenoids
give the 11 layers of the retina
- ILM: inner limiting membrane
- NFL: nerve fibre layer
- GCL: ganglion cell layer
- IPL: inner plexiform layer
- INL: inner nuclear layer
- OPL: outer plexiform layer
- ONL: outer nuclear layer
- OLM: outer limiting membrane
- is: photoreceptors innersegments
- os: photoreceptors outersegments
- RPE: retinal pigmentepithelium
If Nans Go In Iceland Or Other Outings Phone Papa Really
what are the three neurones in the retina?
- ganglion cells
- bipolar cells
- photoreceptor cells
What are the features of the internal limiting membrane?
-mainly composed of basement membrane formed by muller cell footplate processes
-occasionally astrocyte processes and consist of broad flat cells containing rod shaped nuclei
-ILM has the vitreous attached through fine collagen fibrils
-normally absent over the optic nerve head
what are the layers of the ganglion of the ILM?
-Nerve fibre layer - Axons of retinal ganglion cells -(RGCs)+ a few neuroglial cells (astrocytes =astroglia and microglia)
-Ganglion Cell Layer- Retinal ganglion cell (RGC)bodies and some amacrine cell bodies Inner
-Plexiform Layer- Axons and dendrites: synapses of bipolar cells and amacrine cells with ganglion cells
what are the layers of the bipolar layer of the ILM?
-inner nuclear layer: consists of the cell bodies of nueornes (amacrine, bipolar and horizontal cells) and muller cells
-outer plexiform layer: synapses of photoreceptor cells with bipolar and horizontal cells
what are the layers of the photoreceptor layer of the ILM
-outer nuclear layer whicnb has 8-9 layers of of densly packed nuclei and cell bodies of the rods and cones but rods have smaller nucei while cones have larger nuclei that reside just internal to the external limiting membrane
-external outer limiting membrane (not an actual membrane) - where zonula and macula adherens connect muller cells with photoreceptor inner segments that connect muller cells with
describe the features of the inner segment of a photoreceptor
-it extends beyond the external limiting membrane
-ER for protein and lipid synthesis, golgi for carb synthesis and protien modification
-cone inner segment, larger than in rods and contains numerous mitochondria
-rod inner segment is cylindrical and fewer mitochondria than in cones
what do photoreceptor cilia consist of? what are they for? when are they dysfunctional?
-inner and outer segment connected by a modified cilium
-nine doublet microtubules with no central microtubules
-important in transfer of molecules
-often dysfunctional in ushers syndrome
what are the two parts of the photoreceptor outer segments and what do they consist of?
-Rod OS: stacked disks separated from the plasma membrane
-Cone OS stacked disks continuous with the plasma membrane
give four features of rod disks in the outer segment
-contains 600-1000 stacked disks
-connected to plasma membrane but its not continuous with it
-2 micrometers in diameter
-rhodopsin molecules are located within disc membranes
what two types of epithelium does the RPE consist of?
-simple cuboidal epithelium: a monolayer of regularly arranged hexagonal cells
-simple columnar epithelium over the fovea
how is the RPE highly polarised?
due to the zonulae occuludentes ( tight junctions )
whys the RPE so important?
provides the blood brain barrier
what are the cartenoids that comprise the macular pigment in the macula lutea?
carotenoids:
-meso zeaxanthin
-lutein
-zeaxanthin
what is the use of the macula lutea?
the macular pigment heightens absorption of blue light so enhances visual resolution
what does the central retina contain?
the macula which consists of
-fovea centralis
-foveola
-parafovea
-peri fovea
-optic disk
What does the apical surface of the RPE contain?
microvilli bathed in the interphotoreceptor matrix
what does the basal surface of the RPE contain?
infoldings at the basal surface that increase its surface area
give the steps in transport, synthesis, recycling, and storage in the rpe
- Diffusion/uptake of oxygen and nutrients from blood
- Uptake and storage of nutrients and micronutrients (including vitamin A), and their transformations
- Transport of nutrients and 11-cis-retinal to photoreceptors
- Regulating flow of water and other molecules by tight junctions (gate and fence function); providing the blood-retina barrier
- Phagocytosis of tips of photoreceptor outer segments(POS)
- Recycling of proteins, lipids, and vitamin A from phagocytosed and degraded POS
- Removal of waste products to the blood
what happens to the oxygen conc of cone cells in the dark
the oxygen concentration becomes close to zero in the inner segment layer as the oxygen use is very high in the dark
which inner segment between cones and rods contains more mitochondria?
cone inner segment and hence it has a larger inner segment than rods because in the dark, the cones have a high oxygen consumption so theres a constant need to receive oxygen and nutrients
give the cation channels in the outer segment of photoreceptors
-Na/ K, Ca exchanger
-cGMP - gated channel due to influx of Na+ and Ca+
give the cation channels in the inner segment of photoreceptors
-potassium channels
-ATP dependent Na-K pumps responsible for the constant circulation of ions in the dark
what are omega 3 lipids for in rod disks? what is it called?
-provides high fluidity to the lipid membrane as deficiency causes impairment of learning and memory
-docosahexaenoate (DHA)
what’s the difference in length between rod and cone cells?
rods have long outer segments that reach the RPE while cones have a shorter outer segment so send microvilli to encompass the cone outer segments
what happens in the phagocytosis of photoreceptor outer segments by the RPE in three steps
- disc shedding
- phagocytosis
- lysosomal degradation
in a sequence, how does the RPE have a role in providing 11-cis-retinal the chromophore of visual pigments? (retina 2 for relevence)
- uptake of vitamin A ( all trans retinol) from the blood
- uptake of vitamin a from the interphotoreceptor matrix
- intracellular transport of retinoids by the cellular retinoid binding protein and the cellular retinal binidng protein
- esterification of vitamin A with fatty acids by lecithin retinol acetyl transferase to form retinyl esters
- storage of retinyl esters
- synthesis of 11-cis retinal to form all trans retinyl esters
- transport of 11-cis-retinal to photoreceptor outer segments
why does the fundus appear as the darker area in the fovea?
due to increased melanin in the RPE
where is melanin synthesised?
in the protein matrix of melanosomes
which optic layer doesn’t disappear in the optic disk?
the nerve fibre layer
what does the fovea mainly consist of and what is the ratio of photoreceptors, bipolar and ganglion cells and why is it that?
Mainly cones with specialised architecture that resembles rods, 1:1:1 and this is to enhance the resolution of spatial and temporal simulation
what is the maximal retinal thickness?
349+- 17 micrometers
compare the number of cones and rod
rods:
78-125 million/ retina
cones:
5.6-6.8 million/retina
what part of the retina is the density of cones highest?
in the fovea
in what part of the retina is the density of cones the least?
temporal periphery side
what is the parafovea?
a 0.5mm ring surrounding the fovea and has the largest density of ganglion and bipolar cells
what is the perifovea?
a 1.5mm ring surrounding the parafovea with less ganglion cells than the parafovea
what is the peripheral retina?
a mostly single cell layer of ganglion cells outside the macula