PSYC 2390 Lecture Notes - Lecture 2: Limulus, Mach Bands, Amacrine Cell
13 Apr 2018
School
Department
Course
Professor
Document Summary
Neural processing: interaction of the signals of many neurons. More convergence = more sensitivity; less convergence = better detail. Lateral inhibition: inhibition transmitted across the retina (limulus; horseshoe crab). Hatline, wagner and ratcliff: limulus has hundreds ommatidia (each has a small lens on the eyes surface located directly over a single receptor); allows for illuminating and recording from a single receptor without illuminating neighbouring receptors. Illuminating b, a decreases (increasing b more = a decreases more). Illumination of neighbouring receptors at b inhibit firing caused by stimulation of receptor a due to lateral inhibition: lateral plexus transmits signals laterally in limulus; horizontal and amacrine cells transmit signals across the human retina. The lateral inhibition explanation of the chevreul (staricase) illusion. Chevreul illusion: perceived light and dark bands at the boarders (also known as the staircase illusion). The intensity looks like a staircase (steplike patterns).
