unit 2 Flashcards
light
is a type of electromagnetic energy; has prpoerties of both a wave and particle
light has discreet units of
protons
BRIGHT light
= high luminance = many protons
DIM light
= low luminance = fewer photons
equation of energy
E = h/wavelength
energy has a direct relationship with
h (frequency)
energy has an indirect relationship with
wavelength
when light strikes surface
undergoes changes including absorption, dispersion, transmission, and refraction
3 layers of the eye
outer, middle and inner
outer
sclera/cornea
structure and protection
cornea helps focus light into retina
middle
choroid and ciliary body
contains refraction pigmented epithelium and provides blood flow to eye
inner (retina)
phototransduction
phototransduction
process by which light energy is converted into electrical signals
aqueous humor
majorly found in anterior chamber and produced by ciliary body
function is to provide nutritive support to avascular cornea
vitreous humor
found in vitreous chamber; makes up most of volume in the eye
sclera
main component of outside of eye - provides shape and protection
cornea
most refracting power; protects eye; possesses majority of focusing power of eye by refracting light as it enters eye and focusing it onto the retina
lens
also refractions light onto retina but extent of refraction can be altered depending on distance of an object (accommodation)
ciliary body
produces aqueous humor - alos contains ciliary muscles
ciliary muscles
controls shape of lens via zonule fibers
iris
surrounds pupil; contains sphincter and dilator muscles that control the size of pupil thus modulating the amount of light that enters the eye - under autonomic control
sphincter
parapsympathetic
dilator
sympathetic
pupil
hole that allows light to enter the eye
fundas
surface of retina - as visualized by a fundascope
optic disc
region of retina where axons from RGCs join together to leave the eye as optic nerve (CN II) = info leaves eye
no photoreceptors here = blind spot
optic nerve
CN II
fovea
an avascular region of retina and highest visual acuity - highest concentration of cones and no RGCs
retina layers
3 layer (laminar) structure: photoreceptor cells, bipolar, retinal ganglion, horizontal cells amacrine cells, Muller glia
light stim are…
transduced into electrical stim by photoreceptors (rods and cones)
output of retina are
RGC - project to various regions in brain via optic nerve
pathway IN EYE
photoreceptors –> bipolar cells –> retinal ganglion cell –> optic nerve (CN II)
what cells are closer to back of eye
photoreceptors
what cell is closer to front of eye
RGCs
which cells only do graded receptor potentials (PSPs)
photoreceptor and bipolar cells
which is the only cell that fires AP and why
RGCs
becuase their signals need to travel very far and very fast compared to the others
what cells need to be transparent
bipolar and RGCs
rods
detecting light intensity; color insensitive opsine: rhodopsin: more sensitive to photons
larger change in membrane potential induced by same intensity of light stimulus
cones
detecting color; synapse directly onto bipolar cells whereas rods –> amacrine cells –> bipolar through gap junction
color vision mediated by wavelength specific opsins/photopigments found in cones
rods versus cones
located in different parts of retinal; structural difference/general shape
overall function of eyes
to focus light onto retina and transmit signal to brain
what is needed to eyes to function
must contain transparent structures to allow light to reach the retina: cornea, lens, aqueous humor, vitreous humor
must focus light energy onto retina - refraction via cornea and lens
must be able to convert light energy into electrical stimulus (phototransduction) via photoreceptor cells
INDEPTH pathway of EYE
light traveling towards eye –> refracted via cornea –> travels thru aqueous humor and pupil –> refracted via lens –> travels thru vitreous humor –> strike retina –> forms upside down representation of world on retina
accommodation
the process through which the lends focuses on near objects
at accommodation baseline
focusing on object in distance, lens is flattened, capillary muscle not constricted, zonule fibers are stretched out
during accommodation
focus on near object by contracting the capillary muscle – changing shape of lens and thus its refracting capacity (lens thickened)
leads to loosing of zonule fibers allowing lens to assume native state
ciliary muscle contraction is controlled by
oculomotor nerve (CN III)
cataracts
caused by opaque lens - common result of age - most common cause of blindness in world
mucular degeneration
most common cause of age-related blindness in US
wet form mucular degeneration
vascularization of macula
dry form mucular degeneration
caused by “drusen” deposits on macula
photoreceptor cells responsible for….
transduction of energy from physical world (light) into electrical energy in brain (electrical potential)
light HYPERPOLARIZES cell
leading to reduction of glutamate
absorption of photons by photoreceptors
–> hyperpolarization –> decreased glutamate release
resting membrane potential
relatively high - -40mV
high release of glutamate at baseline
retinal isomerization
opsin molecules (rhopsin) contains photopigments (retinal) that becomes isomerized when light
rhodopsin is
protein sitting in cell membrane of a rod
rhodopsin is coupled to
g-protein but responding to light stim
11-cis retinal + light
= ALL-trans retinal –> g-protein (transducin)
g-protein (Ga)
active cGMP PDE so decreased cGMP – no Na+ and Ca2+ influx - hyperpolarization
DARK area
cell is relatively depolarized - glutamate release is high
LIGHT area
cell is relatively hyperpolarized - glut release is low
light area process
light –> activation of transducin (g-protein) –> decreased intracellular levels of cGMP by activating cGMP-PDE –> decrease Na+ and Ca2+ currents through cGMP-gated channels –> hyperpolarization of photoreceptor cells –> decreased Ca2+ influx –> decreased glutamate release from photoreceptors
light and dark stim are processed by
ON-center and OFF-center neurons in retina
ON-center ganglion cell
increase firing when light presented
OFF-center ganglion cell
decrease firing when light presented
ON-center bipolar cells
activated by light
OFF-center bipolar cells
inhibited by light
how do ON-center and OFF-center neurons communication
ON-center communicate with ON-center and vice versa
how does glutamate impact bipolar cells
it can active or inhibit them depending on receptor expression
bipolar cells with AMPA receptor will be ____ by glutamate because…
activated…. cation channels allow Na+ to flow into cell –> depolarization –
take away activation = inhibition
bipolar cells with mGluRG receptors (metabotropic) _______ neuronal activity because
inhibit neuronal activity
take away inhibition –> activation
horizontal cells
surround inhibition - sharpen receptive fields by inhibiting surround photoreceptive cells
thalamus (LGN)
visual perception
midbrain (superior colliculus)
visual reflexes and eye movement
midbrain (pretectal area)
modulation of pupil size
hypothalamus (suprachiasmatic nucleus)
sleep cycle modulation
retinotopy
specific parts of visual field are “mapped onto” (represetned) in specific parts of retina and brain