Canadian Medical Guide > Anatomy > Nervous System > Neurons > Neurons, Afferent > Photoreceptors Terms and Definitions

Photoreceptors

Medical Definition:	Cells specialized to detect and transduce light.
Guide Notes:	GEN or unspecified but note PHOTORECEPTORS, VERTEBRATE; PHOTORECEPTORS, INVERTEBRATE; PHOTORECEPTORS, MICROBIAL & PHOTORECEPTORS, PLANT see PHOTOSYNTHETIC REACTION CENTER, PLANT are also available; DF: PHOTORECEPT
Also Called:	Retinal Photoreceptors
Previously Indexed:	Receptors, Sensory (1966-1970)

Photoreceptors Categories.

	Photoreceptors, Invertebrate - Cells in invertebrates which are specialized to detect and transduce light and darkness and relay that information centrally in the nervous system.
	Photoreceptors, Vertebrate - Cells specialized to detect and transduce light. Rods and cones are the photoreceptors in the vertebrate retina.
	Retinal Ganglion Cells - Cells of the innermost nuclear layer of the retina, the ganglion cell layer, which project axons through the optic nerve to the brain. They are quite variable in size and in the shapes of their dendritic arbors, which are generally confined to the inner plexiform layer. A small subset of these cells act as photoreceptors and project to the SUPRACHIASMATIC NUCLEUS, the location of the circadian clock, setting the CIRCADIAN RHYTHM.

Photoreceptors Medical Definitions and Terms

CANADIAN MEDICAL GUIDE

Thank you for visiting Canadian Medical Guide .com

Wildlife On Video »

Canada's Great Outdoors
Tour Canadian Rockies »
Book Banff »
Book Jasper »
Maligne Lake Boat Cruise »
Gondola Banff »
Hike Jasper »
Jasper Columbia Icefield »