Processing and encoding of visual information in the retina

The retina is a remarkably sophisticated instrument and much of its internal circuitry is poorly characterized. A major problem for studies aimed at better understanding the retina is that the neurons in its middle layers are varied in type and relatively inaccessible. Two approaches that have facilitated progress towards elucidating retinal function include population-based studies of the anatomy of the retina and multi-electrode recordings from its output; in combination, they enable the neuronal system of the retina to be examined as a whole.