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Updated: May 11, 2026

Transretinal ERG Recordings from Mouse Retina: Rod and Cone Photoresponses
Published on: March 14, 2012
Retinal cell types: Rod and cone photoreceptors
Zander Esh1, Vladimir J Kefalov2
1School of Medicine, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA, United States; Department of Ophthalmology, Gavin Herbert Eye Institute, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA, United States.
None:
This chapter outlines the current understanding on several key topics in the field of rod and cone photoreceptor research. First, we discuss the research techniques that have led to the knowledge accumulated to date, as well as novel approaches to studying photoreceptors. Next, we outline photoreceptor development followed by the mature photoreceptor anatomy. The bulk of the chapter addresses the physiology of photoreceptors, first examining the unique electrophysiologic properties of rod and cone photoreceptors and then discussing their functional characteristics that enable dim- and bright-light vision. We then discuss cellular metabolism and the unique energy requirement of photoreceptors for sustaining their function. Finally, we examine diseases that affect the human photoreceptors, with an emphasis on the genetic bases and pathophysiology as it relates to the functional characteristics described earlier in the chapter. The chapter ends with a short note on the future directions of photoreceptor research and the emerging therapeutics that will be available to clinicians in the coming years.
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