Trouble "visualizing" the passage of light through the retina

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FCMike11

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Am currently focusing on the structure of the retina. Reading along, light ultimately passes through the vitreous chamber, onto the retina which contains rods and cones. The rods and cones then synapse with bipolar cells, which synapse with ganglion cells which have axons that innervate the optic nerve. I'm ok with this, then on the next page is this picture, which shows the direction of incoming light apparently originating at the ..bipolar cells? I appear to missing something, if anyone wouldn't mind clarifying.


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Someone correct me if I am wrong, but the light after passing the vitreous humor goes to the retina. In order for that to occur it happens to pass the bipolar cells. After light reaches the retina the signals are sent from the retina to the rod and cones, which synapse with the bipolar cells, which in turn synapse with the ganglion cells that those signal get transmitted to the optic nerve. I am a visual learner and found this video to be helpful:
 
Someone correct me if I am wrong, but the light after passing the vitreous humor goes to the retina. In order for that to occur it happens to pass the bipolar cells. After light reaches the retina the signals are sent from the retina to the rod and cones, which synapse with the bipolar cells, which in turn synapse with the ganglion cells that those signal get transmitted to the optic nerve. I am a visual learner and found this video to be helpful:

Okay, yes, that does help. Light passes through the bipolar neurons and ganglion's first, to get to the rods/cons at the posterior portion of the retina. Light passing through these neurons doesn't transmit any information, which can only occur after the rods/cones process this light, and then an impulse is conducted.
 
The retina contains two types of photoreceptor cells (rods and cones). These photoreceptor cells will process light information and transmit this information to bipolar cells, then ganglion cells, and then through the optic nerve to our brains where we make sense of the information.

@FCMike11 You aren't missing anything- you may have been expecting the neural transmission (bipolar cells -> ganglion cells) to be "behind" the photoreceptor cells away from the incoming light. The ganglion cells actually branch to the optic nerve which passes through the back of the eye to the brain. The place where the optic nerve passes leaves a photoreceptor-free area which is the "blindspot" of each eye.
 
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The retina contains two types of photoreceptor cells (rods and cones). These photoreceptor cells will process light information and transmit this information to bipolar cells, then ganglion cells, and then through the optic nerve to our brains where we make sense of the information.

@FCMike11 You aren't missing anything- you just may have been expecting the neural transmission (bipolar cells -> ganglion cells) to be "behind" the photoreceptor cells away from the incoming light. The ganglion cells actually branch to the optic nerve which passes to the back of the eye to the brain. The place where the optic nerve passes leaves a photoreceptor-free area which is the "blindspot" of each eye.

Great explanation. My book did represent the blind spot (and lack of photoreceptors there) but didn't elaborate why. Your post really helps me visualize this.
 
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