The light reflex

Light reflex ;constriction of pupil (meiosis) in

response to sudden light exposure .
Direct light reflex ;constriction of pupil on the same
side of illuminated light
Indirect light reflex ;constriction of the pupil of
opposite side as well .
- It is protective reflex because ;
. Prevent harmful excessive illumination on retina
.meiosis improve the depth of focus (only the
central rays pass)
Pathway of the light reflex
Stimulus ; bright light illumination
Receptors; rods and cones of retina
Afferent; optic nerve
Center ; pretectal nucleus center in midbrain on
same side…… to3rd cranial nerve nuclei of both side in
mid brain ….. send impulse to ciliary ganglion
Efferent; post ganglionic motor fiber from ciliary
nerve(parasympathetic)
Effector; contraction of constrictor pupillae muscle
of both side….meiosis.
The light reflex protection for retina
In diagnosis of some disease
Argyl roberston pupil; pupil which failed to
response to light but response to near vision
Cause ; lesion in the pretectal nuclei by
neuro-syphilis…..(loss of reflex but preservation
of accommodation reflex
Formation of images on the retina involve three
process;
1-refraction of light
2-accommodation of lens
3-constriction of pupil.
Refraction of light;
The light passes through different media
And bends at interface
60% at cornea
40%by lens
Refractive media of the eye
Cornea-the aqueous humour-lens-vitroues
humour
Accommodation;
Increase in the dioptric power of the lens during
near vision.
Mechanism;
On looking near object
-contraction of ciliary muscle
-the lens become more convex
-increase dioptric power of the lens
 Accommodation power;
The difference in power of the lens of resting eye
during far vision and during maximal
accommodation to near vision ;
At age 10 y increase 20 -34 D
14 Decrease with age to reach 2 at 50 y ,0 at 70 .
Presbyiopia; due to decrease in elasticity of lens
with age due to denaturation of protein
Correction by convex lens for far vision
Accommodation reflex;(near reflex)
On looking near object the light rays are
diverging.
They will be focused behind the retina ,this is
prevented by the near response which consist
of; –increase the convexity of lens by
contraction of ciliary muscle
-convergence of visual axis
-pupillary constriction (miosis)
Neural pathway;
Optic nerve Optic chiasma optic tract….
Lateral geniculate body area 17 area 18,19
….superior colliculus edingerwetphal nucleus
ciliary ganglion short ciliary nerve to cause
-contraction of ciliary muscle
-contraction of 2medial recti muscle
-contraction of constrictor pupillae
Errors of refraction;
Myopia
Long eye ball
Distant objects focused in front of retina
Image striking retina is blurred.
Correction; concave lens or laser surgery to
slightly flatten the cornea
Hyperpoia;
Eyeball short ,lens too thin
Object are focused behind retina
Image striking the fovea is blurred
Correction;
Convex lens
Astigmatism; irregular curvature in parts of the
cornea or lens, causes blurry image, corrected by
ground lenses
 The visual process
The rods and cones ;
these are photo receptor of the retina contained
specific photosensitive pigments which are
chemically changed on exposure to light. Such
changes initiate action potential in optic nerve
fibers.
Cones;-are located in macula lutea but are most
highly concentrated in fovea centrals
-are sensitive to bright light (day light)(very tens)
-each cone synapses with a single bipolar cell which
synapses with single ganglion cell.
-the axones of ganglion cells form the optic nerve to
conduct visual image to brain
-provide acute sharp color image.
Rods;
-most of rods concentrated in the retina outside the
macula lutea
-many rods synapse with single bipolar cell
-many bipolar cells synapse with single ganglion cell
which carries stimuli to the brain
-more sensitive and function only in dim light ,night
perception and peripheral vision,
Visual pigment;
-composed of 2 component
-retinal –light absorbing molecule(vit A)
-opsin (protein)
-opsin ………………………………..
Visual pigment in rods;
-Retinal+opsin=rhodopsin(visual purpule)
-function in dark only
-light cause retinal to change the shape and
sepatate from opsin causing nerve impulse
Visual pigment in cones;
-retinal +red ,green , blue opsin =red green or
blue visual pigments.
-each opsin absorb light only in area of visible
light spectrum it is sensitive to red cones ,green
cones,blue cones
-function only in bright light (day)
-provide sharp color image.
Reactions that initiate action potential transmitted by the optic nerve in rods
and cones;
-light
-structural changes in opsin
-conformational changes in opsin
-activation of transducin
-activation of enzyme phosphodiesterase
-decrease intracellular rhodopsin
-closure of Na –channel
-hyperpolarization
-decrease release of transmitter (glutamatea)
-electrical response in bipolar cells
-action potential in ganglion cell
-conduction through visual pathway
Light adaptation ;
1-retinalsensitivity to light decrease
2-pupillo constriction
3-break down of photo- pigment in rods and cones
3-neural adaptation
Dark adaptation
1-increase retinal sensitivity
2-decrease visual threshold
3-pupillo dilation
4-increase neural signal intensity
 Visual pathway
Visual impulses from retina pass along optic
nerve ….to .. Optic chiasma(fiber from the nasal
retinal fibers pass at the lateral angel of chiasma
uncrossed ….optic tract(contain fibers from
temporal half of ipsilateral (same side) retina
and nasal fibers from the contralateral (opposite
side) retina.
-the major target is the LGB of thalamus ….optic
radiation …to occipital cortex `forming the primary
visual pathway.
-smaller pathway is directed to mid brain …pretectal
neurons…EWN of 3rd cranial nerve …preganglionic
parasympathetic fiber ,,,,ciliary ganglion…..post
ganglionic parasympathetic to constrictor pupillae
muscle(meosis) also supply the ciliary muscle of
accomodation of lens.
-optic tract fibers reach the superior
colliculus….coordinate head and eye movement
Lesions of visual pathway;
1- optic nerve lesion;
.blind in ipsilateral eye
.monocular vision
2-lesion in central part of optic chiasma;
.bitemporal heminopia
3-lesion in left optic tract
.right homonymous hemianopia
Meiosis mydrasis
- dark
-Light reflex - far vision
- pain
-near vision - parasympathetic lesion
-Para symp stimulation
-Lesion of symp (horner
-3 anastesia - grade 4
-Pontine hamorage
-Pheochromocytoma - sympathomimetic
-Morphin - hrerion,cocain