PSYC 2390 Chapter Notes - Chapter 3: Horseshoe Crab, Lateral Geniculate Nucleus, Retinal Ganglion Cell

• School: University of Guelph
• Department: Psychology
• Course: PSYC 2390
• Professor: Paula Barata

Document Summary

Every signal leaving a receptor travels through a complex network of interconnected neurons, meeting and being affected by other signals along the way. It is done this way too achieve more specific recognition. Neural processing: operations that transform electrical signals within a network of neurons or that transform the response of individual neurons. Lateral inhibition: inhibition that is transmitted laterally across a nerve circuit. In the retina, lateral inhibition is transmitted by the horizontal and amacrine cells. The first work done on lateral inhibition was carried out on a horseshoe crab. Hartline, wagner, and ratliff used the horseshoe crab to demonstrate how lateral inhibition can affect the response of neurons in a circuit. The horseshoe crab was used because of its unique eyes made up of ommatidia (a small lens, located directly over a visual receptor) these lens are the size of a pencil point (much bigger than humans).