PSY 405 Chapter Notes - Chapter 5, 6: Amblyopia, Eye Tracking, Medial Geniculate Nucleus
13 Oct 2016
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Document Summary
Development of connections: neurons, brain connectivity, myelination. Sensitive periods and plasticity of the visual cortex (it can do math!) Retinal photoreceptors: layer cells at back of eye that creates electrical/chemical signal from light. Rods: periphery, sensitive to dim light, do not code much detail. Fovea: center of retina, densely packed with cones, sharp vision. Cones: central, function best in bright light, very acute detail, color. Specialized nerve cells that contain pigment molecules capable of capturing a single light particle and translating it into a chemical reaction. Rods: the most pigment (pic up low-level light and the periphery) Cones: can process color, centermost in the retina (fovea), finer discriminations. 2 pathways: subcortical (controls eye movements)- superior colliculus, pulvinar, amygdala. Other pathway through cortex (next figure: optic nerve- thalamus (lateral geniculate nucleus)- visual cortex. Hubel and weisel won the nobel prize for determining the structure and function of the visual cortex.
