Emeritus Professor David Vaney    Emeritus Professor

	Biography

Neuronal Architecture of the Retina.

The structure and function of the retina have been elucidated in remarkable detail and this is facilitated by the highly ordered neuronal architecture, both in the plane of the retina and through its depth. Because the intact retina can be readily isolated from the rest of the central nervous system, the retina has been described as nature's brain slice. The isolated retina retains many of the important advantages of in vivo preparations (intact neuronal circuitry; responsiveness to natural stimuli), while gaining the significant benefits of in vitro preparations (recording stability; microscopic identification of cells; controlled application of drugs).

The technique of intracellular recording and dye injection under direct microscopic control is a common thread linking three major projects.
1. Retinal Amacrine Cells
2. Direction Selectivity
3. Gap Junctions
For more information on these projects, see Research Interests…

	Keywords
	Medical: Neurotransmitters, Medical: Visual Perception/Processing, Science and Technology: Neuroscience