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

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,...
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.
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.
Depth Perception and Spatial Vision01:15

Depth Perception and Spatial Vision

Depth perception is the ability to perceive objects three-dimensionally. It relies on two types of cues: binocular and monocular. Binocular cues depend on the combination of images from both eyes and how the eyes work together. Since the eyes are in slightly different positions, each eye captures a slightly different image. This disparity between images, known as binocular disparity, helps the brain interpret depth. When the brain compares these images, it determines the distance to an object.
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...

You might also read

Related Articles

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

Sort by
Same author

Fluctuating internal states mediate neural-behavioral covariations in V1.

Nature neuroscience·2026
Same author

Independent Encoding of Orientation and Mean Luminance by Mouse Visual Cortex.

eNeuro·2026
Same author

Principles of cortical interactions in modular recurrent networks.

bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology·2025
Same author

Synchrony timescales underlie irregular neocortical spiking.

Neuron·2025
Same author

The fluctuation-based regime of thalamocortical circuitry.

bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology·2025
Same author

Impaired thalamic burst firing in fragile X syndrome.

Cell reports·2025

Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 20, 2026

Quantification of Visual Feature Selectivity of the Optokinetic Reflex in Mice
09:28

Quantification of Visual Feature Selectivity of the Optokinetic Reflex in Mice

Published on: June 23, 2023

A retinal source of spatial contrast gain control.

Benjamin Scholl1, Kenneth W Latimer, Nicholas J Priebe

  • 1Center for Perceptual Systems, Section of Neurobiology, School of Biological Sciences, College of Natural Sciences, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712, USA.

The Journal of Neuroscience : the Official Journal of the Society for Neuroscience
|July 21, 2012
PubMed
Summary

Contrast-invariant spatial tuning, crucial for visual processing, is present in retinal ganglion cells and lateral geniculate nucleus relay cells. This suggests an early emergence of this mechanism in the visual pathway.

More Related Videos

In Vivo Imaging of Cx3cr1gfp/gfp Reporter Mice with Spectral-domain Optical Coherence Tomography and Scanning Laser Ophthalmoscopy
06:19

In Vivo Imaging of Cx3cr1gfp/gfp Reporter Mice with Spectral-domain Optical Coherence Tomography and Scanning Laser Ophthalmoscopy

Published on: November 11, 2017

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: May 20, 2026

Quantification of Visual Feature Selectivity of the Optokinetic Reflex in Mice
09:28

Quantification of Visual Feature Selectivity of the Optokinetic Reflex in Mice

Published on: June 23, 2023

In Vivo Imaging of Cx3cr1gfp/gfp Reporter Mice with Spectral-domain Optical Coherence Tomography and Scanning Laser Ophthalmoscopy
06:19

In Vivo Imaging of Cx3cr1gfp/gfp Reporter Mice with Spectral-domain Optical Coherence Tomography and Scanning Laser Ophthalmoscopy

Published on: November 11, 2017

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Visual Processing
  • Sensory Systems

Background:

  • The sensory cortex encodes diverse stimulus features despite signal variations.
  • Neurons in the cat primary visual cortex (V1) exhibit contrast-invariant spatial tuning, suggesting a gain control mechanism.
  • The precise stage where this contrast-invariant tuning emerges in the visual pathway remains undetermined.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the presence and origin of contrast-invariant spatial tuning in the early visual pathway.
  • To determine if this mechanism is evident in retinal input and lateral geniculate nucleus (LGN) relay cells.

Main Methods:

  • Electrophysiological recordings from retinal ganglion cells and LGN relay cells in cats.
  • Analysis of neuronal responses across varying stimulus contrasts.
  • Comparison of spatial tuning properties at different stages of visual processing.

Main Results:

  • Contrast-invariant spatial tuning was observed in the responses of LGN relay cells.
  • This invariance was also detected in the afferent retinal input to LGN cells.
  • Evidence indicates the presence of a similar contrast-invariant mechanism in retinal ganglion cells.

Conclusions:

  • Contrast-invariant spatial tuning is not exclusive to the visual cortex but emerges earlier in the visual pathway.
  • The findings suggest a consistent contrast-invariant mechanism operating from the retina through the LGN.
  • This early emergence of contrast-invariant spatial selectivity is fundamental for robust visual feature extraction.