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Retina: Neuroanatomy and Physiology

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Neuroscience in the 21st Century

Abstract

The sensory retina of vertebrates, a highly specialized extension of the brain, is a thin (~0.25 mm thick in the human eye), multilayered, photosensitive tissue coating the inner back of the eyeball (Fig. 22.1). The retina is responsible for (1) photoreception and transduction of light energy into neuronal activity and (2) initial stages of visual processing and integration according to the environmental light conditions. The visual information is then transferred through the optic nerve to the brain.

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Abbreviations

AQP:

Aquaporin

ATP:

Adenosine 5′-triphosphate

cGMP:

Cyclic guanosine 5′-monophosphate

CRALBP:

Cellular retinaldehyde-binding protein

dLGN:

Dorsal lateral geniculate body

EAAT:

Excitatory amino acid transporter

GABA:

γ-aminobutyric acid

GAT:

GABA transporter

GCL:

Ganglion cell layer

GFAP:

Glial fibrillary acidic protein

ILM:

Inner limiting membrane

INL:

Inner nuclear layer

IPL:

Inner plexiform layer

Kir:

Inwardly rectifying potassium

NFL:

Nerve fiber layer

ONL:

Outer nuclear layer

OPL:

Outer plexiform layer

PRS:

Photoreceptor segment

RPE:

Retinal pigment epithelium

TH:

Tyrosine hydroxylase

TRP:

Transient receptor potential

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Paul-Flechsig-Institut für Hirnforschung, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany

    Prof. Andreas Reichenbach

  2. Department of Ophthalmology and Eye Hospital, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany

    Andreas Bringmann

Authors
  1. Prof. Andreas Reichenbach
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  2. Andreas Bringmann
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Andreas Reichenbach .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratory of Neurobiology and Behavior, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY, USA

    Donald W. Pfaff

Glossary

AII Cell

Subtype of glycinergic amacrine cells which connects the rod pathway to the cone output pathway.

Amacrine Cell

Interneuron in the IPL which lacks an axon.

Bipolar Cell

Cell with bipolar morphology (two main processes evolve from the perikaryum in opposite direction) transfers visual information from the synaptic terminals of photoreceptor cells to amacrine and ganglion cells.

Bistratified Cell

Cell with processes that branch in two distinct sublayers of the IPL.

Choriocapillaris

Inner sublayer of the choroidea which contains capillaries.

Ciliar Photoreceptor

Vertebrate-type photoreceptor which contains photopigments in invaginations of the cilium membrane.

Cone

Cone-like photoreceptor responsible for color vision under bright light conditions.

Dark Current

Current between photoreceptor outer and inner segments which is active in the dark.

Diffuse Amacrine

Amacrine cell with processes that branch vertically in different sublayers of the IPL.

Diffuse Bipolar

Bipolar cell which has a relatively large dendritic field and contacts several cone pedicles.

Displaced Cell

Cell with a perikaryum that is localized in an unusual retinal layer.

Dyad

A ribbon-containing structure of the synaptic terminal of a bipolar cell.

Fovea Centralis

The center of the fovea with the highest visual acuity, contains only cones.

Ganglion Cell

Output cell of the retina; its axon draws in the optic nerve to the brain.

Horizontal Cell

Interneuron that makes lateral visual information processing in the OPL.

Interplexiform Cell

Subtype of amacrine cells that regulates the activity of bipolar dendrites in the OPL in dependence on the activity of the IPL.

K Cell

Koniocellular cell.

Kir Channel

K+ channels of Müller cells implicated in spatial buffering of the extracellular K+ concentration.

Koniocellular Cell

Cell as small as dust.

M Cell

Large magnocellular (parasol) cell.

Macula Lutea

Yellowish area of the primate retina which includes the fovea, parafovea, and perifovea.

Melanopsin

Photopigment of intrinsically light-sensitive retinal ganglion cells.

Mesopic Vision

Rod and cone vision at middle to low light intensities.

Metarhodopsin

Light-activated rhodopsin that activates the phototransduction cascade.

Midget Cell

Small cell with small receptive field.

Müller Cell

The main macroglial cell of the retina.

Nuclear Layer

Layer that contains perikarya.

OFF-Cell

Cell which is inactivated when the center of the receptive field is illuminated.

ON-Cell

Cell which is activated when the center of the receptive field is illuminated.

Optic Disk

Optic nerve head; blind spot of the retina which does not contain photoreceptors.

P Cell

Small parvocellular (midget) cell.

Parasol Cell

Large cell with large receptive field.

Pedicle

Synaptic terminal of a cone.

Photoisomerization

Light-induced conformation change of 11-cis retinal to all-trans retinal.

Photopic Vision

Cone vision under bright light conditions (daylight).

Photopsin

Photopigment of a cone composed of iodopsin and retinal.

Phototransduction

Transduction of light energy into neuronal activity.

Plexiform Layer

Synaptic layer.

Purkinje Shift

Shift of the retinal sensitivity from yellow toward blue during adaptation to darkness (mesopic vision).

Receptive Field

Area of the retina where light stimuli alter the activity of a cell.

Retinoid Cycle

Metabolic cycle which regenerates 11-cis retinal from all-trans retinal.

Rhabdomeric Photoreceptor

Invertebrate-type photoreceptor which contains photopigments in the membranes of microvilli.

Rhodopsin

Photopigment of rods composed of scotopsin and retinal.

Ribbon

Presynaptic dense body binds glutamate-containing synaptic vesicles.

Rod

Rodlike photoreceptor responsible for achromatic vision under low light conditions.

Scotopic Vision

Rod vision at low light intensities (night vision).

Spherule

Synaptic terminal of a rod.

Starburst Amacrine

Amacrine cell with large dendritic field which is implicated in movement detection.

Stratified Cell

Cell with processes that branch in a distinct sublayer of the IPL.

Subretinal Space

Fluid-filled space between the neuroretina and RPE.

Transducin

G-protein involved in the phototransduction cascade.

Triad

A ribbon-containing structure of the cone pedicle.

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Reichenbach, A., Bringmann, A. (2013). Retina: Neuroanatomy and Physiology. In: Pfaff, D.W. (eds) Neuroscience in the 21st Century. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-1997-6_22

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