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Physiology Exam 4, Lecture 6
The Visual System
64
Physiology
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11/05/2011

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Term
Define sclera
Definition
Tough, outermost layer of the eye
Term
Define cornea
Definition
Transparent external surface, major refractive component, continuous with sclera
Term
Define pupil
Definition
Opening that controls the amount of light
reaching the retina
Term
Define iris
Definition
Consists of two muscle4s, an inner circular and outer radial; pupillary diameter depends on activity of these
muscles. Eye color is based on pigmentation of iris.
Term
Define lens
Definition
Fine-tunes refraction for focusing light on retina (accommodation)
Term
Define ciliary muscle
Definition
Sphincter-like circular muscle; controls thickness of lens during accommodation
Term
Define zonular fibers
Definition
Connect lens to ciliary muscle. With relaxation of ciliary muscle, tension on these fibers is high, and lens is flat; vice versa for contraction of ciliary muscle.
Term
Define choroid
Definition
Highly vascularized, between retina and sclera
Term
Define aqueous humor
Definition
Fluid in the anterior chamber of the eye
Term
Define vitreous humor
Definition
Fluid in the posterior channel of the eye
Term
Define retina
Definition
Photoreceptive area of eye
Term
Define macula
Definition
Center area (1 mm2) of retina; site on retina where light falls if one looks straight ahead
Term
Define fovea centralis
Definition
Center of macula, only cones are found, region of the greatest acuity
Term
Define optic disc
Definition
Entrance of the optic nerve (blind spot)
Term
What is the visible spectrum range?
Definition
Wavelengths in the electromagnetic spectrum of 400 nm to 700 nm
Term
What is the effect of lens refraction?
Definition
The image will be upside down and reversed from right to left on
the retina, 180 degrees
Term
How does the eye see an object far away?
Definition
Accommodation: The ciliary muscle contracts, releasing stretch on the zonular fibers. This allows the lens to assume a more spherical shape which increases its refractive ability.
Term
What nerve contracts the ciliary muscle?
Definition
, innervated by the parasympathetic component of
The oculomotor nerve (preganglionic cell bodies in Edinger-Westphal nucleus)
Term
Define emmetropic
Definition
Normal vision, the lens is flat and almost all refraction is done by the cornea
Term
Define hyperopia
Definition
Far-sightedness, the eye is too short so the lens refracts to see a far away object. This makes it difficult to focus near objects.
Term
Define myopia
Definition
Near-sightedness, the eye is too long so far objects are focused in front of the retina and blurry
Term
Define presbyopia
Definition
With age, the lens becomes stiffer which prevents it from being able to assume a more round configuration. This reduces accommodation.
Term
Define astigmatism
Definition
This is due to an uneven curvature of the cornea, which has the effect of focusing an object at two separate places on the retina, producing blurry vision.
Term
What type of contact lens would you use for hyperopia?
Definition
A convex lens to increase refraction
Term
What type of contact lens would you use for myopia?
Definition
A concave lens to reduce refraction
Term
What type of contact lens would you use for astigmatism?
Definition
A cylindrical lens
Term
Define acuity?
Definition
A measure of the ability to distinguish two points. The greater the number of photoreceptors, and the better the eye's refractive ability, the higher the acuity.
Term
How is acuity described/measured? What does 20/20 mean?
Definition
In terms of the visual angle, analogus to 360 degrees of a circle.

For normal 20/20 vision, you can see an object at 20' that takes up .083 degrees of space (5 minutes of arc)
Term
How does a smaller pupil affect focus?
Definition
A small pupil increases the depth of field of focus because, by allowing less light to reach the retina, the fuzzy edges of an object that is out of focus become darker so that the object appears to be in focus.
Term
Describe the path of life through the retina
Definition
Light must first pass through
regions containing ganglion cells, amacrine cells, bipolar cells, horizontal cells before reaching the rods and cones

However, at the fovea the neurons in front of the photoreceptors are pushed laterally so that light has a more direct path
Term
Describe rods
Definition
Very sensitive to low levels of light, low acuity, contains more discs than cones
Term
Describe cones
Definition
Less sensitive to light, high acuity, color vision
Term
Define photopigment
Definition
Structures in photoreceptors containing a light-absorbing
molecule called retinal (a derivative of vitamin A) and opsin

At the end of the cell, there is machinery for reducing glutamate
Term
List the process of phototransduction in rods
Definition
1. In dark, cGMP has high levels of activity and high depolarization
2. With light, retinal changes conformation
3. Opsin changes conformation
4. G-protein activated (transducin)
5. Activates cGMP phosphodiesterase
6. Low cGMP closes Na-channels
7. Cell hyperpolarizes
8. Neurotransmitter released is reduced
Term
Define "dark current"
Definition
The inflow of Na+ due to high levels of cGMP in photoreceptors in the dark
Term
How do we detect different colors?
Definition
The different photopigments absorb light at different wavelengths, which ultimately is how we detect colors.

There are three types of cone photopigments, each of which absorbs light at a preferred wavelength
Term
List the neural path from photoreceptors to the cortex
Definition
1. Photoreceptors
2. Bipolar cells
3. Amacrine cells /horizontal cells
4. Ganglion cells
5. Optic nerve
6. Optic chiasm
7. Optic tract
8. Lateral geniculate nucleus
9. Primary visual cortex
Term
When do ganglion cells fire most actively?
Definition
When the contrast between the excitatory center and the inhibitory off-center is highest
Term
How is the retina divided into hemiretinas?
Definition
Temporal hemiretina (lateral, toward
ear) and a nasal hemiretina (medial, toward nose)
Term
What hemiretinals will an object in the left visual field strike?
Definition
An object in the left visual field will strike the nasal hemiretina in the left eye and the temporal hemiretina in the right eye.
Term
Where are the ganglion cell axons for each hemiretinal?
Definition
Ganglion cell axons from the temporal hemiretina are located in the lateral half of the optic nerve

Ganglion cell axons from the nasal hemiretina are located in the medial half of the optic nerve
Term
Describe the optic chiasm. What axons cross over?
Definition
At the optic chiasm, all of the axons from each nasal hemiretina cross over, but the axons from each temporal hemiretina stay on the same side. This means that the left visual field will be transmitted in the right optic tract, and vice versa.
Term
Define optic radiation
Definition
The pathway where: 1. Optic tract projects retinal input to the lateral geniculate nucleus in a very specific topographical pattern. 2. The lateral geniculate neurons then send their axons to the primary visual (striate) cortex in a topographical pattern
Term
Define apnosia
Definition
A defect in the visual field
Term
What would happen to the visual field if there was transection of the left optic nerve?
Definition
Loss of the left monocular zone only
Term
What would happen to the visual field if there was transection of the optic chiasm?
Definition
Loss of peripheral field (tunnel vision)
Term
What would happen to the visual field if there was transection of the left optic tract?
Definition
Loss of the entire half of the right visual field
Term
Define the pupillary light reflex
Definition
Bright light causes pupillary diameter to decrease (miosis). More specifically, bright light shone into one eye will cause pupillary constriction in both eyes; this reflex is therefore said to be consensual.
Term
Describe the pathway of the pupillary light reflex
Definition
retina → optic nerve → optic chiasm → optic tract → pretectal nucleus in dorsal midbrain → Edinger-Westphal nucleus → oculomotor nerve → ciliary ganglion → sphincter (circular) muscle of iris
Term
What defects happen to the pupillary reflex if the left optic nerve is transected?
Definition
No consensual response at all and no direct response in left eye
Term
What defects happen to the pupillary reflex if the left oculomotor nerve is transected?
Definition
No direct or consensual response in left eye, right pupil normal
Term
Define mydriasis
Definition
Pupillary dilation
Term
List the pathway of the mydriasis response
Definition
Sympathetic activity → hypothalamus and midbrain → intermediolateral nucleus in upper thoracic region of spinal cord → superior cervical ganglion → radial muscle
Term
Touching the cornea (or bright light/loud sounds) results in blinking. List the pathway for this response
Definition
cornea → trigeminal nerve (CN V) → spinal trigeminal nucleus → facial motor nucleus (CN VII) → orbicularis oculi muscle
Term
How many cranial nerves could you test if you attempted to initiate blinking with a loud noise?
Definition
Three:
1. Vestibulocochlear nerve
2. Trigeminal nerve
3. Facial motor nerve
Term
What causes glaucoma?
Definition
Production of aqueous humor is greater than drainage, resulting in increased intraocular pressure that ultimately damages the optic disk (gathering point for axons leaving the eye), thereby injuring the ganglion cell axons and producing blindness.
Term
Define color-blindness
Definition
Typically occurs in men, and typically involves a difficulty in distinguishing red and green. Due to genetic errors that result in lack or deficiency in red and green color pigments (X-linked).
Term
Define cataract
Definition
Clouding of the lens. Common in older individuals.
Term
How is the primary visual cortex organized?
Definition
The major cell types described above are organized into cubes of cortex with about 2 mm of cortex per side.

Each cube is responsible for analyzing a particular point in space. Each cube has the ability to determine all of the important information (shape, motion, and color) of its territory.

Information from these cubes flows to higher order association cortex, where the information from each individual cube is combined into objects.
Term
What does the dorsal pathway of the visual cortex detect?
Definition
"Where" objects are, motions
Term
What does the ventral pathway of the visual cortex detect?
Definition
"What" objects are (identification)
Term
Define achromatopsia
Definition
Loss of color perception
Term
Define anomia
Definition
Inability to name objects
Term
Define prosopagnosia
Definition
The inability to name particular faces
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