Download - 08b vision processing form and shape
Neuronal architecture of mammalian visual system
Visual receptor
Retina Functional organization
Photoreceptors Rod and Cone
Anatomical Distribution of Rods and Cones
Phototransduction
Ganglion Cell : Contrast discrimination
Receptive Field
Receptive fields of photoreceptors and their connections. (A) The receptive field center provides a direct input from the photoreceptors to the bipolar cell, and the receptive field surround provides indirect input from the photoreceptor to the bipolar cells via horizontal cells. (B) 1: Photoreceptor cell; 2: on-center bipolar cell; 3: off-center bipolar cell; 4: on-center ganglion cell; 5: off-center ganglion cell.
Receptive field of bipolar cells
Receptive field
Responses of retinal bipolar and ganglion cells to darkness and illumination in the receptive field center.A) Changes in the electrical activity of the photoreceptor and on- and off-center bipolar and ganglion cells when the photoreceptor receptive field center is in the dark. (B) Changes in the electrical activity of the photoreceptor and on- and off-center bipolar and ganglion cells when the photoreceptor receptive field center is illuminated
Lateral inhibition mechanism
Responses of retinal bipolar and ganglion cells to darkness and illumination in the receptive field surround. (A) Changes in the electrical activity of the photoreceptor and on- and off-center bipolar and ganglion cells when the photoreceptor receptive field surround is in the dark. (B) Changes in the electrical activity of the photoreceptor and on- and off-center bipolar and ganglion cells when the photoreceptor receptive field surround is illuminated.
Receptive field of two ganglion cells overlap
Two neighboring retinal ganglion cells receive input over the direct path from two overlapping groups of receptors. The areas of retina occupied by these receptors make up their receptive-field centers, shown face on by the large overlapping circles.
Ganglion Cells
Characteristics M Cells P Cells
Color No Yes
Contrast High Low
Spatial Low High
Temporal High Low
Population 5% 90%
Action Potential Phasic, fast Tonic, slow
Function Movement Shape
Receptive field Large Small
Retinal mapping Periphery Fovea
Central Projections of Retinal Ganglion Cells
Lateral Geniculate Ganglia
Retinal projection to Lateral Geniculate Nucleus
Central retinal pathway
LGN Projection to Occipital Cortex
Occipital lobe
LGN to Visual Cortex projection
Receptive field of a simple cell in the primary visual cortex
Simple cell of visual cortex
Complex Cell
What Primary Visual Cortex do?
Projection of LGN to V1
A, sends a signal to many simple
cells, each with different
orientations. In this figure, cell A
shares its information with 3 simple
cells. If there were a simple cell for
each 5 deg change in orientation,
the same cell A would provide
information to 36 simple cells (180
deg/ 5 deg = 36).
Complex Cells
Retinal image of an object
Significance of Movement Cells
A rough indication of physiological cell types found in the different layers of the striate cortex.
The ocular dominance columns
Ocular Dominance Columns
Ocular dominance remains constant in vertical microelectrode penetrations through the striate cortex. Penetrations parallel to the surface show alternation from left eye to right eye and back, roughly one cycle every millimeter.
Ocular Dominance Column input from LGN
R L
The overlap and blurring of ocular-dominance columns beyond layer 4 is due to horizontal or diagonal connections.
Orientation column of visual cortex: Optical imaging
Organization of Blobs
Primary Visual Cortex Architecture
Hypercomplex CellsEnd Stopping cells
V2-3: Assembling simple features into objects.
V1V2
Binding Problem
Binding Problem
Illusory contour
What we perceive depends not only on the visual image but also on our interpretation of what we see
Interpretation based on our memories modifies what we see. For example if we expect to see the letter m in “exanple” we may not notice that is has been misspelled.
Visual Area Beyond V2
Evidence for dorsal and ventral pathway
Inferior Temporal neuron response to Form
Face and Complex Form Recognition ITC
Fusiform face area
Columnar organization of IT area
IT has a columnar organization Cells within a column are activated by the same object. Neighboring columns respond best to objects of a similar shape as in a and b.
Central Visual Pathways
AIT = anterior inferior temporal area; CIT = central inferior temporal area; LIP = lateral intraparietal area; Magno = magnocellular layers of the lateral geniculate nucleus; MST = medial superior temporal area; MT = middle temporal area; Parvo = parvocellular layers of the lateral geniculate nucleus; PIT = posterior inferior temporal area; VIP = ventral intraparietal area.) (Based on Merigan and Maunsell 1993.)