PS267 Lecture Notes - Lecture 8: Optic Nerve, Olfaction, Ganglion
Document Summary
Photoreceptors (called rods and cones) are found in the retina. Rods and cones contain photopigments that translate light into neural signal: when light hits photopigment, light splits apart; changing membrane potential of receptors, causing an ap and signal is sent to bipolar neurons. Cones are concentrated in the fovea, rods are more prevalent in the periphery. In dim light: best to not look directly @ object, rods = night-vision. Blind spot : area @ back of eye w/ no rods or cones = optic nerve: the retina to the brain: Rods contain the pigment rhodopsin: low light; takes long to replenish in bright light, 495nm (greenish-blue) Cones contain the pigment photopsin: bright light, 3 types of cones, blue (430nm, green (530nm, red (560nm) Important in visual attention and integrating sensory information (ie. bird: visual & audio stimuli: retinotopic maps: External space is represented continuously within the retina, lgn, and v1.
