https://stream.echo6.co/videos/watch/234cbf37-4e36-46d2-aeda-691e31d039e1 Official Ninja Nerd Website: https://ninjanerd.org Ninja Nerds! In this lecture, Professor Zach Murphy will break down the anatomy and physiology of the retina’s two primary photoreceptor types: rods and cones. We examine their structural differences, focusing on the outer segment discs that house photopigments—rhodopsin in rods and cones—and how their arrangement supports their specialized roles in vision. The lecture details how rods function in scotopic (low-light) conditions with high light sensitivity but no color perception, while cones operate in photopic (bright-light) conditions, enabling high-acuity color vision through three subtypes sensitive to short, medium, and long wavelengths. We then explore the phototransduction cascade, explaining how light exposure leads to the activation of opsins, triggering a G-protein–mediated reduction in cGMP, closure of cGMP-gated sodium channels, and hyperpolarization of the photoreceptor membrane. This process decreases glutamate release, modulating bipolar cell activity and ultimately altering ganglion cell firing patterns transmitted via the optic nerve. Finally, we compare the spatial distribution of rods and cones across the retina, highlighting the high cone density in the fovea for detailed central vision versus the peripheral predominance of rods for motion detection and night vision. The lecture also touches on the neural circuitry connecting photoreceptors to bipolar, horizontal, amacrine, and ganglion cells, emphasizing how these pathways integrate to create our complete visual experience. Enjoy the lecture and support us below! 🌐 Official Links Website: https://www.ninjanerd.org Podcast: https://podcast.ninjanerd.org Store: https://merch.ninjanerd.org 📱 Social Media https://www.tiktok.com/@ninjanerdlectures https://www.instagram.com/ninjanerdlectures https://www.facebook.com/ninjanerdlectures https://x.com/ninjanerdsci/ https://www.linkedin.com/company/ninja-nerd/ 💬 Join Our Community Discord: https://discord.gg/3srTG4dngW #ninjanerd #Photoreceptors #EENT Wed, 15 Apr 2026 15:26:51 GMT https://validator.w3.org/feed/docs/rss2.html PeerTube - https://stream.echo6.co https://stream.echo6.co/client/assets/images/icons/icon-512x512.png https://stream.echo6.co/videos/watch/234cbf37-4e36-46d2-aeda-691e31d039e1 All rights reserved, unless otherwise specified in the terms specified at https://stream.echo6.co/about and potential licenses granted by each content's rightholder.