Definition
The lateral geniculate nucleus (LGN) is a small section of the dorsal thalamus. It relays visual information from the retina to visual cortex.
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Introduction
The LGN derives its name from its characteristic curved shape resembling a bent knee (lat. “genu” for knee). While the medial geniculate is part of the auditory pathway, the lateral geniculate is concerned with vision. Its primary function is to relay sensory information from the retina to the visual cortex via a large fiber bundle called the optic radiation.
Basic Anatomical Organization
In all mammalian species, the outputs of the two eyes in the form of retinal ganglion cell projections (i.e., the optic nerve) terminate at the LGN of the thalamus (see Jones (2007) for a comprehensive, comparative description of thalamic organization). Both the inputs to and structure of the LGN differ across species. For example, only one third of all retinal output projects to the LGN in rodents,...
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References
Hendry, S. H., & Reid, R. C. (2000). The koniocellular pathway in primate vision. Annual Review of Neuroscience, 23, 127–153.
Jones, E. G. (2007). The Thalamus: 2 Volume Set. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Saalmann, Y. B., & Kastner, S. (2009). Gain control in the visual thalamus during perception and cognition. Current Opinion in Neurobiology, 19, 408–414.
Schiller, P. H., Logothetis, N. K., & Charles, E. R. (1990). Functions of the colour-opponent and broad-band channels of the visual system. Nature, 343, 68–70.
Sherman, S. M. & Guillery, R. W. (2009). Exploring the thalamus and its role in cortical function. Cambridge: The MIT Press.
Usrey, W. M., & Alitto, H. J. (2015). Visual functions of the thalamus. Annual Review of Vision Science, 1, 351–371.
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Maier, A., Schmid, M.C. (2017). Lateral Geniculate Nucleus. In: Shackelford, T., Weekes-Shackelford, V. (eds) Encyclopedia of Evolutionary Psychological Science. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-16999-6_2772-1
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-16999-6_2772-1
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