weeks 4-6 Flashcards
visible human spectrum of light?
400-750nm
colour in retina?
3 cones, red green and blue.
red - 560
green - 530
blue - 430
combination of red:green discrimination and blue:yellow.
diagrams centre on off thingy
slides.
blue:yellow colour?
excited by blue in centre, inhibited by yellow in centre.
blue connected to ON bipolar
red/green connected to OFF bipolar
colour opponent ON and OFF bipolars.
red:green response?
high response to red, low response to green.
colour opponent centre surround
what wavelength of light does retinaldehyde absorb?
around 380 peak, UV range.
how can retinaldehyde absorb visible light then?
when bound to opsin, its function shifts to a different part of the spectrum.
when bound to rhodopsin where does retinaldehyde absorb light?
500 peak.
describe red/green colour blindness.
RG ganglion cells are on x chromosomes, only one copy in males.
can lack this if fucked up.
can still differentiate between blue/yellow
how do species differ?
number of cone classes
spectral sensitivity
why may species differences in colour vision occur?
ie telious fish, live at surface of water, they have >4 cone opsin genes.
look at deep sea species, only have 1 or 2 blue sensitive pigments. water filters out light at different wavelengths.
how did primates re evolve a 3rd cone opsin gene?
slides.
only females.
2 different x chr colours, can get 2 different ones by chance.
duplication of green on x chr for old world primates.
basic visual system pathways?
passes through lateral geniculate nucleus, to reach the primary visual cortex
basic CNS anatomy?
optic nerve from eye to optic chiasm, up to part of the thalamus (LGN) which projects to V1.
10% projects to other places.
what is the thalamus?
The thalamus is part of the brain which connects the midbrain (and therefore the periphery – the outside world) to the twinned cerebral hemispheres.
Essential link in transfer of sensory information to cerebral cortices
Originally thought of as “passive gateway”, isn’t since it can be selective.
Plays a major gating/modulatory role in the relay of sensory information
Integrates information from cerebellum and basal ganglia, sending this information to the motor regions of cortex
Determines whether or not sensory information should reach conscious awareness and is involved with sleep/wake and attention.
what is the main visual component of the thalamus?
dorsal lateral geniculate nucleus.
dLGN
what surrounds the thalamus?
thalamic reticular nucleus
job of the thalamus?
Sends information to cerebral cortex for all sensory systems except olfaction (communicates with the entire neocortex).
Every relay nucleus receives information back from cortex
Amount of feedback from cortex may equal or exceed amount of input from peripheral sense organs.
Feedback may be specific or diffuse and may separately target relay cells (cells projecting to the cortex) and inhibitory interneurons.
describe the structure of the LGN.
nissl stained.
6 layers.
1 ventral side, 6 dorsal side.
1 and 2 magnocellular layers (large cells)
3 to 6 parvocellular (small cells)
Each layer contains both excitatory (aka relay or projection) cells and (intrinsic) inhibitory interneurons
Very small cells between the laminae (koniocellular, or interlaminar), also excitatory relay cells.
Fovea/parafovea has a larger representation than peripheral retina (~half of the mass of the LGN) – aka the magnification factor
what does a nissl stain do?
look at cell density
where do LGN cells recieve their retinal input from?
Each cell receives most of its retinal input from a single retinal ganglion cell