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Understanding Retina Structure and Function

The retina is a light-sensitive layer of nerve tissue in the eye that converts images into nerve impulses for the brain. It originates from the embryonic diencephalon and consists of multiple layers, including the inner limiting membrane, ganglion cell layer, and retinal pigment epithelium, housing millions of rods and cones. The retina receives blood supply from the central retinal artery and choroidal blood vessels, with the choroid providing the majority of blood flow essential for photoreceptor function.

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6 views12 pages

Understanding Retina Structure and Function

The retina is a light-sensitive layer of nerve tissue in the eye that converts images into nerve impulses for the brain. It originates from the embryonic diencephalon and consists of multiple layers, including the inner limiting membrane, ganglion cell layer, and retinal pigment epithelium, housing millions of rods and cones. The retina receives blood supply from the central retinal artery and choroidal blood vessels, with the choroid providing the majority of blood flow essential for photoreceptor function.

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Retina

Dr Md Iqbal Hossain
Eye Dept.
Retina

The retina is a light-sensitive layer of nerve tissue


lining the inner surface of the eye. It creates an
image projected on its surface with help of the
cornea and crystalline lens, and transforms it into
nerve impulses sent to the brain.
Origin
• Retina and the optic nerve originate as
outgrowths of the developing brain,
specifically the embryonic diencephalon; thus,
the retina is considered part of the central
nervous system (CNS) and is actually brain
tissue. It is the only part of the CNS that can
be visualized non-invasively.
Layers of retina
[Link] limiting membrane – basement membrane elaborated
by Müller cells
[Link] fibre layer – axons of the ganglion cell nuclei (note
that a thin layer of Müller cell footplates exists between
this layer and the inner limiting membrane)
[Link] cell layer – contains nuclei of ganglion cells, the
axons of which become the optic nerve fibres for messages
and some displaced amacrine cells[2]
[Link] plexiform layer – contains the synapse between the
bipolar cell axons and the dendrites of the ganglion and
amacrine cells.[2]
[Link] nuclear layer – contains the nuclei and surrounding
cell bodies (perikarya) of the amacrine cells, bipolar cells
and horizontal cells.[2]
Layers of retina
[Link] plexiform layer – projections of rods and cones
ending in the rod spherule and cone pedicle,
respectively. These make synapses with dendrites of
bipolar cells.[2] In the macular region, this is known as
the Fiber layer of Henle.
[Link] nuclear layer – cell bodies of rods and cones
[Link] limiting membrane – layer that separates the
inner segment portions of the photoreceptors from
their cell nucleus
[Link] of rods and cones – layer of rod cells and cone
cells
[Link] pigment epithelium - single layer of cuboidal
cells (with extrusions not shown in diagram). This is
closest to the choroid.
• The entire retina contains about 7 million cones
and 75 to 150 million rods.
• The optic disc, a part of the retina sometimes
called "the blind spot" because it lacks
photoreceptors, where the optic-nerve fibers
leave the eye.
• It appears as an oval white area of 3mm².
Temporal (in the direction of the temples) to this
disc is the macula. At its centre is the fovea, a pit
that is responsible for our sharp central vision .
• In section the retina is no more than 0.5 mm
thick.
• Although there are more than 130 million
retinal receptors, there are only approximately
1.2 million fibers (axons) in the optic nerve; a
large amount of pre-processing is performed
within the retina.
Layers or retina
Retinal Blood Supply
• There are two sources of blood supply to the
mammalian retina: the central retinal artery
and the choroidal blood vessels.
• The choroid receives the greatest blood flow
(65-85%) and is vital for outer retina
(particularly the photoreceptors)
• Remaining 20-30% flows to the retina through
the central retinal artery from the optic nerve
head to nourish the inner retinal layers.

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