Vision Flashcards
phototransduction
the transduction of light energy into neural signals
retina
specialized sensory organ at the back of the eye that translates visual images into the language of APs
photons
small particles of light
wavelength
the distance between peaks and valleys of a photon’s ripples
cornea
a transparent outer layer
iris
colored part of the eye that controls how much light enters by adjusting pupil size
lens
focuses light on the retina at the back of the eye
ciliary muscles
distort the shape of the lens to focus objects at different viewing distances on the retina
cones
photoreceptors responsible for daytime vision and color
rods
photoreceptors are responsible for night and monochrome vision
opsins
special light-sensitive proteins
rhodopsin
opsin in rods
cone opsin
opsin in cones
retinal
a form of vitamin A that opsin molecules bind to
dichromates
people who can only perceive two color hues instead of three
tetrachromate
a female who can perceive more than the normal three color hues
on-center bipolar cells
inhibited by glutamate so they depolarize when light hits the photoreceptor
off-center bipolar cells
excited by glutamate so hyperpolarize when light hits the photoreceptor
on-center ganglion cells
receive input from on-center bipolar cells so they depolarize when light hits the photoreceptor
off-center ganglion cells
receive input from off-center bipolar cells so they hyperpolarize when light hits the photoreceptor
on-center off-surround cells
preferred stimulus - light in the center
anti-preferred stimulus - annulus of light in the surround
off-center on-surround cells
preferred stimulus - annulus of light in the surround
anti-preferred stimulus - light in the center
receptive field
the region where a neuron is responsive to stimulation
preferred stimulus
the stimulus that excites a neuron the most