Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 10, 2026
11:29
Dissection, Immunohistochemistry and Mounting of Larval and Adult Drosophila Brains for Optic Lobe Visualization
Published on: April 28, 2021
Element distribution in visual system, the optic chiasma, lateral geniculate body, and superior colliculus
Setsuko Tohno1, Tsuyoshi Ishizaki, Yusuke Shida
1Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai 50200, Thailand.
Biological Trace Element Research
|August 11, 2010
Summary
This study analyzed elemental changes in the aging visual system, finding no age-related shifts but significant correlations between elements and higher calcium and zinc in women
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Biochemistry
- Gerontology
Background:
- The aging visual system undergoes complex changes.
- Understanding elemental composition is crucial for visual system health.
- Previous research has not fully detailed age-related elemental shifts in specific visual brain regions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate age-related elemental compositional changes in the optic chiasma, lateral geniculate body, and superior colliculus.
- To explore inter-elemental relationships and correlations between these brain regions.
- To identify potential gender differences in elemental content within the aging visual system.
Main Methods:
- Direct chemical analysis of resected optic chiasmata, lateral geniculate bodies, and superior colliculi from elderly subjects (75-96 years).
- Element content determination using inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectrometry after acid digestion.
- Statistical analysis to assess age-related changes, inter-element correlations, regional correlations, and gender differences.
Main Results:
- Phosphorus (P) content was significantly higher in the optic chiasma and superior colliculus than in the lateral geniculate body.
- No significant age-related changes were observed in seven analyzed elements across the studied regions in individuals over 75 years old.
- Consistent significant correlations were found: direct between Calcium (Ca) and Zinc (Zn), inverse between Magnesium (Mg) and Sodium (Na).
- Significant direct correlations were noted between the optic chiasma and lateral geniculate body for P and Mg; optic chiasma and superior colliculus for Iron (Fe); and lateral geniculate body and superior colliculus for Mg.
- Women exhibited significantly higher Ca and Zn content in the lateral geniculate body compared to men.
Conclusions:
- Elemental composition of the optic chiasma, lateral geniculate body, and superior colliculus shows distinct regional differences, notably higher P in the optic chiasma and superior colliculus.
- The aging visual system, in individuals over 75, does not exhibit significant elemental alterations in these key regions.
- Specific elemental relationships (Ca-Zn, Mg-Na) are conserved across these visual pathway regions.
- Inter-regional elemental correlations highlight functional connections within the visual system.
- Gender-specific differences in Ca and Zn levels in the lateral geniculate body suggest potential sex-based variations in visual processing or vulnerability.
More Related Videos
07:04Long-range Channelrhodopsin-assisted Circuit Mapping of Inferior Colliculus Neurons with Blue and Red-shifted Channelrhodopsins
Published on: February 7, 2020
09:00Eye Removal in Living Zebrafish Larvae to Examine Innervation-dependent Growth and Development of the Visual System
Published on: February 11, 2022
Related Concept Videos
01:24Vision
Vision is the result of light being detected and transduced into neural signals by the retina of the eye. This information is then further analyzed and interpreted by the brain. First, light enters the front of the eye and is focused by the cornea and lens onto the retina—a thin sheet of neural tissue lining the back of the eye. Because of refraction through the convex lens of the eye, images are projected onto the retina upside-down and reversed.
01:20Anatomy of the Eyeball
The eye is a spherical, hollow structure composed of three tissue layers. The outer layer — the fibrous tunic, comprises the sclera — a white structure — and the cornea, which is transparent. The sclera encompasses some of the ocular surface, most of which is not visible. However, the 'white of the eye' is distinctively visible in humans compared to other species. The cornea, a clear covering at the front of the eye, enables light penetration. The eye's middle layer, the vascular tunic,...
01:26Visual System
Light enters the eye through the cornea, a transparent, dome-shaped surface covering the surface of the eyeball that helps to direct and focus incoming light. This light is then channeled toward the pupil, an adjustable opening whose size is controlled by the iris. The iris, a pigmented muscle, regulates the amount of light entering the eye by contracting or dilating the pupil, thereby ensuring optimal light levels for clear vision.
Once through the pupil, the light passes through the lens, a...
Once through the pupil, the light passes through the lens, a...
01:22Photoreceptors and Visual Pathways
At the molecular level, visual signals trigger transformations in photopigment molecules, resulting in changes in the photoreceptor cell's membrane potential. The photon's energy level is denoted by its wavelength, with each specific wavelength of visible light associated with a distinct color. The spectral range of visible light, classified as electromagnetic radiation, spans from 380 to 720 nm. Electromagnetic radiation wavelengths exceeding 720 nm fall under the infrared category, whereas...
01:32The Retina
The retina is a layer of nervous tissue at the back of the eye that transduces light into neural signals. This process, called phototransduction, is carried out by rod and cone photoreceptor cells in the back of the retina.
01:27Diencephalon: Thalamus and Information Relay
The thalamus, often called “the gateway to the cerebral cortex,” is vital in processing and directing sensory and motor signals throughout the brain. Almost all inputs destined for the cerebral cortex, except for olfactory signals, are relayed through the thalamus. The thalamus is a sophisticated relay station, channeling information from various brain regions to the cerebral cortex, as well as a filter, prioritizing certain signals over others based on current physiological states or needs.