Search research articles

ABOUT JoVE

Overview Leadership Blog JoVE Help Center

AUTHORS

Publishing Process Editorial Board Scope & Policies Peer Review FAQ Submit

LIBRARIANS

Testimonials Subscriptions Access Resources Library Advisory Board FAQ

RESEARCH

JoVE Journal Methods Collections JoVE Encyclopedia of Experiments Archive

EDUCATION

JoVE Core JoVE Business JoVE Science Education JoVE Lab Manual Faculty Resource Center Faculty Site

Terms & Conditions of Use

Related Concept Videos

Photoreceptors and Visual Pathways

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,...

The Retina

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 Eyeball

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...

Electrical Synapses

Electrical Synapses

Electrical synapses found in all nervous systems play important and unique roles. In these synapses, the presynaptic and postsynaptic membranes are very close together (3.5 nm) and are actually physically connected by channel proteins forming gap junctions.
Gap junctions allow the current to pass directly from one cell to the next. In contrast, in the chemical synapse, the neurotransmitters carry the information through the synaptic cleft from one neuron to the next. They consist of two...

Neural Circuits

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...

Vision

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.

You might also read

Related Articles

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

Sort by

Same author

Compound models and Pearson residuals for single-cell RNA-seq data without UMIs.

Genome biology·2026

Same author

Eyewire II - A connectomic resource for resolving cell types and circuits of the mouse retina.

bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology·2026

Same author

Inhibition benefits neural system identification.

bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology·2026

Same author

Aversion Encoding and Behavioral State Modulation of Physiologically Defined Cell Types in the Lateral Habenula.

The European journal of neuroscience·2025

Same author

JAXLEY: differentiable simulation enables large-scale training of detailed biophysical models of neural dynamics.

Nature methods·2025

Same author

When the brain talks back to the eye.

PLoS biology·2025

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Mar 6, 2026

Author Spotlight: Understanding the Ultrastructural Basis of Retinal Synaptic Connectivity and Neurotransmitter Localization in Mice

Author Spotlight: Understanding the Ultrastructural Basis of Retinal Synaptic Connectivity and Neurotransmitter Localization in Mice

Published on: July 12, 2024

Connectomics of synaptic microcircuits: lessons from the outer retina.

Luke Edward Rogerson^1,2,3,4, Christian Behrens^1,2,3,4, Thomas Euler^1,2,3

¹Institute for Ophthalmic Research, University of Tübingen, 72076, Tübingen, Germany.

The Journal of Physiology

|March 16, 2017

Summary

New 3D electron microscopy reveals surprising connections in the retina. Cone photoreceptor pathways interact with rod pathways, challenging traditional models of visual signal processing.

Keywords:

bipolar cell connectomics electron microscopy photoreceptor retina synapse

More Related Videos

Author Spotlight: Using the Split Retina Technique for Enhanced Access and Accelerated Experiments

Author Spotlight: Using the Split Retina Technique for Enhanced Access and Accelerated Experiments

Published on: January 16, 2024

Author Spotlight: Analyzing the Synaptic Ultrastructure in Mature Retinal Organoids Using TEM

Author Spotlight: Analyzing the Synaptic Ultrastructure in Mature Retinal Organoids Using TEM

Published on: June 7, 2024

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Mar 6, 2026

Author Spotlight: Understanding the Ultrastructural Basis of Retinal Synaptic Connectivity and Neurotransmitter Localization in Mice

Author Spotlight: Understanding the Ultrastructural Basis of Retinal Synaptic Connectivity and Neurotransmitter Localization in Mice

Published on: July 12, 2024

Author Spotlight: Using the Split Retina Technique for Enhanced Access and Accelerated Experiments

Author Spotlight: Using the Split Retina Technique for Enhanced Access and Accelerated Experiments

Published on: January 16, 2024

Author Spotlight: Analyzing the Synaptic Ultrastructure in Mature Retinal Organoids Using TEM

Author Spotlight: Analyzing the Synaptic Ultrastructure in Mature Retinal Organoids Using TEM

Published on: June 7, 2024

Area of Science:

Neuroscience
Retinal circuitry
Visual processing

Background:

Photoreceptors transmit visual signals to retinal circuitry via complex synaptic connections.
Traditional models describe distinct ON- and OFF-cone bipolar cell pathways with specific synaptic arrangements.
Previous studies were limited by sample size and resolution, hindering quantitative analysis.

Purpose of the Study:

To quantitatively describe outer retinal connectivity using 3D serial electron microscopy.
To identify exceptions and novel insights into photoreceptor synaptic organization.
To provide a broader context for the implications and limitations of the findings.

Main Methods:

Utilized 3D serial electron microscopy on a large retinal tissue section.
Reconstructed complete sets of neurons within the tissue.
Exploited known anatomical motifs to identify putative synaptic contacts in the absence of explicit labels.

Main Results:

Revealed unexpected interactions between rod and cone pathways at the photoreceptor synapse.
Identified sparse photoreceptor sampling, deviating from classical assumptions.
Discovered atypical synaptic contacts that challenge established connectivity motifs.

Conclusions:

3D electron microscopy provides unprecedented quantitative insights into retinal connectivity.
Classical models of cone photoreceptor synaptic organization require revision.
Future research should explore the functional consequences of observed atypical connections and cross-pathway interactions.