Ever wondered how you can see all the glorious hues of a sunrise? Scientists have mapped the neural circuits involved in how we process colour for the first time. The team from the University of California, said it could lead to new therapies for a host of sight problems. They used sophisticated recording equipment to study the retina - the light-sensitive tissue that lines the inner surface of the eye essential for our vision. The retina has a layered structure of neural tissue with input cells (photoreceptors), processing cells and output (ganglion) cells. The photoreceptors are made up of two types: rods that see in black and white and cones that see in colour. The way different cone cells receive signals and distinguish between wavelengths of light creates our perception of colour. However, there has long been a debate as to how these signals are combined by the retina and transmitted by the output cells to the brain. Now the puzzle has been solved after researchers discovered the pattern of connectivity between the cone receptor cells and the ganglion cells. (Daily Mail)Saturday, 6 November 2010
Seeing red? Scientists map how our eyes process colour for the first time
Ever wondered how you can see all the glorious hues of a sunrise? Scientists have mapped the neural circuits involved in how we process colour for the first time. The team from the University of California, said it could lead to new therapies for a host of sight problems. They used sophisticated recording equipment to study the retina - the light-sensitive tissue that lines the inner surface of the eye essential for our vision. The retina has a layered structure of neural tissue with input cells (photoreceptors), processing cells and output (ganglion) cells. The photoreceptors are made up of two types: rods that see in black and white and cones that see in colour. The way different cone cells receive signals and distinguish between wavelengths of light creates our perception of colour. However, there has long been a debate as to how these signals are combined by the retina and transmitted by the output cells to the brain. Now the puzzle has been solved after researchers discovered the pattern of connectivity between the cone receptor cells and the ganglion cells. (Daily Mail)