PSYCH 202 Lecture Notes - Lecture 7: Visual System, Ganglion Cell, Conjunctiva
Document Summary
The process of transferring physical stimuli into neural signals. Photoreceptors: contain molecules of photopigments; steadily release glutamate in dark. Light exposure cause the photopigments to break apart, causing a hyperpolarization the receptor membrane; decreases glutamate release. Effect of decreased photoreceptor glu release on bipolar cell (light is on!) Ganglion cells are always depolarized by glutamate. On-center ganglion cells depolarize when lights are on. Off-center ganglion cells depolarize when lights are off. Cones (photopic): responds maximally to bright light and color. Fovea: small pit in the macula specialized for detailed vision; where our cones are packed in eye. Optic disk: blind spot; area in retina where blood vessels and the optic nerve exit. *primary visual pathway: visual field: includes everything you see from left to right. 5: lateral geniculate nucleus: axons terminate here; where axon terminals of ganglion cells are: primary visual cortex: striations/stripes represent where the incoming information originated (which eye)
