Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

The Retina01:32

The 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.
Anatomy of the Eyeball01:20

Anatomy 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,...
Vision01:24

Vision

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.
Neural Circuits01:25

Neural Circuits

Neural circuits and neuronal pools are two of the main structures found in the nervous system. Neural circuits are networks of neurons that work together to carry out a specific task or process. They consist of interconnected neurons and glial cells, which provide structural and metabolic support.
Neuronal pools are collections of nerve cells with similar functions and interact through chemical and electrical signals. These pools include both interneurons (the central neural circuit nodes that...
Photoreceptors and Visual Pathways01:22

Photoreceptors 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...
Visual System01:26

Visual 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...

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Unsolved retinal questions.

Progress in retinal and eye research·2026
Same author

Comparative effectiveness between two types of head-mounted magnification modes using a smartphone-based virtual display.

Optometry and vision science : official publication of the American Academy of Optometry·2024
Same author

Preliminary Evaluation of Two Digital Image Processing Strategies for Head-Mounted Magnification for Low Vision Patients.

Translational vision science & technology·2019
Same author

Low Vision Enhancement with Head-mounted Video Display Systems: Are We There Yet?

Optometry and vision science : official publication of the American Academy of Optometry·2018
Same author

Amacrine-to-amacrine cell inhibition: Spatiotemporal properties of GABA and glycine pathways.

Visual neuroscience·2011
Same author

Differential targeting of optical neuromodulators to ganglion cell soma and dendrites allows dynamic control of center-surround antagonism.

Neuron·2011
Same journal

Kinematic-calcium loops unravel impaired excitation-contraction coupling in MELAS-affected cardioids.

The Journal of physiology·2026
Same journal

hERG1 channels and potential therapeutics for long QT syndrome.

The Journal of physiology·2026
Same journal

A high-fat, high-sucrose diet exacerbates muscle and metabolic pathology and undermines glucocorticoid efficacy in dystrophin-deficient mice.

The Journal of physiology·2026
Same journal

Ca<sub>V</sub>1.2 dynamics in native male arterial myocytes.

The Journal of physiology·2026
Same journal

Glutamatergic modulation of transcranial direct current stimulation over the premotor cortex combined with peripheral nerve stimulation promotes observation-execution-related cortical excitability and motor performance.

The Journal of physiology·2026
Same journal

The ultrarapid delayed rectifier potassium current has important functional role in the repolarization reserve of canine and human ventricular muscle.

The Journal of physiology·2026
See all related articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 1, 2026

Electrophysiological Investigations of Retinogeniculate and Corticogeniculate Synapse Function
09:09

Electrophysiological Investigations of Retinogeniculate and Corticogeniculate Synapse Function

Published on: August 7, 2019

The retinal hypercircuit: a repeating synaptic interactive motif underlying visual function.

Frank S Werblin1

  • 1Division of Neurobiology, Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, UC Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA. fwerblin@gmail.com

The Journal of Physiology
|June 15, 2011
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

The vertebrate retina creates visual movies through stacked neural circuits in the inner plexiform layer (IPL). Interactions between specific cell types within these circuits enable complex visual processing functions.

More Related Videos

Split Retina as an Improved Flatmount Preparation for Studying Inner Nuclear Layer Neurons in Vertebrate Retina
07:53

Split Retina as an Improved Flatmount Preparation for Studying Inner Nuclear Layer Neurons in Vertebrate Retina

Published on: January 16, 2024

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jun 1, 2026

Electrophysiological Investigations of Retinogeniculate and Corticogeniculate Synapse Function
09:09

Electrophysiological Investigations of Retinogeniculate and Corticogeniculate Synapse Function

Published on: August 7, 2019

Split Retina as an Improved Flatmount Preparation for Studying Inner Nuclear Layer Neurons in Vertebrate Retina
07:53

Split Retina as an Improved Flatmount Preparation for Studying Inner Nuclear Layer Neurons in Vertebrate Retina

Published on: January 16, 2024

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Vision Science
  • Computational Neuroscience

Background:

  • The vertebrate retina processes visual information through a complex network of neurons.
  • The inner plexiform layer (IPL) is a critical site for synaptic integration and signal processing.
  • Understanding retinal circuitry is key to deciphering visual perception.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review the structure and function of retinal 'hypercircuits' within the IPL.
  • To elucidate how neuronal interactions generate diverse visual functions.
  • To connect cellular-level mechanisms to system-level visual processing.

Main Methods:

  • Review of existing literature on retinal structure and function.
  • Analysis of the roles of amacrine and ganglion cells in visual processing.
  • Integration of morphological and physiological data to understand circuit dynamics.

Main Results:

  • The IPL contains a dozen strata, each forming a functional module or 'hypercircuit'.
  • Each hypercircuit involves interactions between five cell classes, including amacrine and ganglion cells.
  • Variations in cell characteristics across strata lead to distinct neural image processing.

Conclusions:

  • Retinal hypercircuits, repeated across IPL strata, are fundamental to visual processing.
  • Interactions between cell morphology and physiology explain key visual functions like motion and edge detection.
  • This framework provides a unified view of retinal computation and visual perception.