Parasol cell
Encyclopedia
A parasol cell is one type of retinal ganglion cell located in the ganglion cell layer
of the retina
. Parasol cells project their axons to the magnocellular layers of the lateral geniculate nucleus
, where they synapse with magnocellular cells. These cells are known as parasol retinal ganglion cells, based on the large sizes of their dendritic trees and cell bodies. About 10% of retinal ganglion cells are parasol cells in the magnocellular pathway. They receive inputs from relatively many rods and cones. They have fast conduction velocity, and can respond to low-contrast stimuli, but are not very sensitive to changes in color. They have much larger receptive fields which are nonetheless also center-surround.
Ganglion cell layer
The ganglion cell layer is a layer of the retina that consists of retinal ganglion cells.In the macula lutea, the layer forms several strata....
of the retina
Retina
The vertebrate retina is a light-sensitive tissue lining the inner surface of the eye. The optics of the eye create an image of the visual world on the retina, which serves much the same function as the film in a camera. Light striking the retina initiates a cascade of chemical and electrical...
. Parasol cells project their axons to the magnocellular layers of the lateral geniculate nucleus
Lateral geniculate nucleus
The lateral geniculate nucleus is the primary relay center for visual information received from the retina of the eye. The LGN is found inside the thalamus of the brain....
, where they synapse with magnocellular cells. These cells are known as parasol retinal ganglion cells, based on the large sizes of their dendritic trees and cell bodies. About 10% of retinal ganglion cells are parasol cells in the magnocellular pathway. They receive inputs from relatively many rods and cones. They have fast conduction velocity, and can respond to low-contrast stimuli, but are not very sensitive to changes in color. They have much larger receptive fields which are nonetheless also center-surround.