Retina Flashcards
what does the retina fo
light sensitive tissue - lining the inner surface of the eye
conversion of light into an impulse (phototransuction)
transmits impulses to the brain (conduction)
where does light travel to once it gets to the retina
- light has to travel all the way through to reach the photoreceptors which are in the outer retina
- and then the neural impulse has to travel all the way back through the layers to the ganglion cell layers to reach the optic nerve
- light goes through all the layers of the retina and then the impulse goes back out
where is the inner retina located
- towards the virteous - towards the centre of the globe
where is the outer retina located
towards the sclera
what is located in your outer retina
- photoreceptors are in your outer retina
- retinal pigmented epithelium is in the outer retina
light has to pass through to reach the outer retina
what is the function of the pigmented outer layer
outer layer = a single layer of pigmented cells which absorbs light and prevents light scatter within the eye ball- (retinal pigmented epithelium)
what is the function of the inner neural layer
- contains photoreceptors
- rods and cones
and neural cells
posteriolly located - optic retina - anterioly the pigmented layer continues but not the neural layer non - visual retina
light has to pass through the ganglion cells to reach pigmented layer and rods and cones
where does light have to pass through to reach the pigmented layer of rods and cones
- light has to pass through retinal ganglion cells to reach the pigmented layer of rods and cones to be phototransduced into a neural impulse
describe the macroscopic structure of the neural retina
neural retina is attached at the
ora serrata
margins of the optic nerve head
bound externally by bruchs membrane and internally by the virteous
continues with the optic nerve posterioly (exit site of ganglion cell axons from the eye)
thickness varies from 0.56mm near the optic disc to 0.1mm in the ora serrata
what is the ora serrata
- the ora serrata is a serrated junction between the retina and the pars plana of the cillary body
transition from simple non receptive tissue to multilayered photosensitive tissue
describe the macroscopic structure of the posterior pole
where most of our central vision happens
- ‘’area centralis’’
between superior and inferior arteries
cone dominated
it is subdivided into the macula, fovea and foveola
describe the macroscopic structure of the macula lutea
5.5mm diametre area
3mm lateral to the optic disc
surrounds the fovea (an area within the macula which has high acuity vision)- and a higher cone density
lutea = yellow from yellow xanthophyll cartotenoid pigments in cone axons
describe the macroscopic structure of the fovea centralis
- 1.55 diameter zone in the maccula
- depression surrounded by slightly thickened margins
area of finest detail vision
- no blood vessles - avascular - if light has to reach down towards the outer layer (photoreceptors) then you dont want blood vessles blocking the light
- maximal conc of cones
- no rods
describe the function of the optic disc
this is where all of our axons leave the eye
- because of that their is no photoreceptors - and it therefore forms a blind spot in our vision
the optic disc = 20 degrees from the fovea - and that corresponds with a blind spot that = 20 degrees from our blind spot of our centre of vision
- 1.55mm and 3mm medial to the fovea
central retinal artery and vein enter and leave the eye
describe the nerve fibres anterior to the optic disc
the nerve fibres anterior to the optic disc (within the eye) are non myelinated
the nerve fibres posterior to the optic disc - are myelinated (the ones that go to the brain)
forms an anatomical boundary between the myelinated and unmyelinated axons
describe the peripheral retina
remainder of the retina outside the posterior pole
rich in rods fewer cones - wheras at the fovea you have a high concentration of cones - optic disc has no rods or cones
only one layer of ganglion cell bodies
describe the neural retina
neural retina is firmly attached at the ora serrata and margins of the optic disc
where does the area centralis/ posterior pole lie
area centralis / posterior pole lies between the superior and inferior temporal arteries and is cone dominated
where does the maccular lutea lie and what is it responsible for
macula lutea lies within the area centralis/posterior pole and is responsible for high acuity vision
where is the fovea located
- the fovea is a depression within the maccula containing maximal cone concentrations
what happens and the optic disc and decribe the nerve fibres anterior and posterior to the optic disc
optic disc is where the retinal ganglion cell axons leave the retina and therefore is a blind spot
anterior to the nerve fibres = non myleinated and posterior to the nerve fibres = myelinated
where does the peripheral retina lie and what does it contain
the peripheral retina lies outside the posterior pole and it contains higher rod density
what happens in the outer layer of the retina
phototransduction - the conversion of light to neural impulses
- light comes down to the photoreceptors - you have the retinal pigmented epithelium which prevents light scatter - the rods and cones which are photoreceptors convert light into a neural impulse - they synapse in the outer plexiform layer with the bipolar cells and the ganglion cells where they synapse - and then the ganglion cell axons travel continously with the optic nerve where it is sent back to the brain for processing and analysis
list the names of the layers of the retina
inner limiting membrane nerve fibre layer ganglion cell layer inner plexiform layer inner nuclear layer outer plexiform layer outer nuclear layer external limiting membrane photoreceptor layer retinal pigmented epithelium