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Anatomical pathways for color vision in the human retina

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 June 2009

Helga Kolb
Helga Kolb
Affiliation:
Departments of Physiology and Ophthalmology, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City
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Abstract

The major neurons and neural circuits that are involved in the transmission of color signals through the human retina to produce the color and spatially opponent P cell or midget ganglion cell responses are described. The older findings of single cone to midget bipolar connectivity is reviewed, and the single midget bipolar cell to midget ganglion cell connectivity as revealed by a recent serial section electron microscope study is described in detail. Our present knowledge concerning the discrimination of the blue-cone subtype from the other longer wavelength cones in the human at the outer plexiform layer is summarized, and our most recent findings concerning horizontal cell connectivity to the different spectral types of cones are discussed. Finally, a hypothetical pathway is proposed for color-opponent surrounds of midget ganglion cells using both horizontal cells at the outer plexiform layer and amacrine cell pathways at the inner plexiform layer.

Keywords

Human retinaConesMidget bipolar cellsMidget ganglion cellsHorizontal cellsAmacrine cells
Type
Research Articles
Information
Visual Neuroscience , Volume 7 , Issue 1-2 , August 1991 , pp. 61 - 74
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1991

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