ANATOMY OF RETINA

BY DR.AKANKSHA
RASTOGI
GROSS ANATOMY
1.Innermost tunic of the eyeball .
2.Thin, delicate and transparent membrane.
3.Most highly developed tissue of the eye.
4.Extends from the optic disc to the ora serrata
5.Surface area of about 266mm2
6.Thickness of retina at the posterior pole in the
peripapillary region is aprox 0.56mm,at the equator
0.18 to 0.2mm,at ora serrata apro x 0.1mm1-4
7.Appears purplish-red due to visual purple of the
rods.
Fundus can be divided in 3 distinct region
1.Optic disc
2.Macula lutea and
3.Peripheral retina(general fundus)
OPTIC DISC
1.Pale-pink,well-defined circular area of about 1.5mm
diameter.
2.At the optic disc ,all the retinal layers terminate
except the nerve fibres, which pass through the
lamina cribrosa (sieve-like sclera) to run into the
optic nerve.
 3.Optic disc appears pale due to lamina cribrosa
,medullated nerve fibres behind it and absence of
vascular choroid.
4.The cup varies in size ,shape ,position and depth in
different eyes.
Parafovea
1.Measures 0.5 mm in width and surrounds the foveal
margin.
2.Histologically it is characterised by normal
architecture of retinal layers which include 4-6 layers
of ganglion cells and 7-11 layers of bipolar cell.
Perifovea
1.Mesure 1.5 mm in width and surrounds the parafoveal area .This region is histologiacally characterized
by several layers of ganglion cells and cells and six layers of bipolar cells.

PERIPHERAL RETINA
4 Regions
1.Near periphery :the near periphery refers to a circumscribed region of about 1.5 mm width around
the area centralis (macula lutea ).
2.Mid-periphery:It occupies a 3 mm wide zone around the near periphery .Its outer limit correspondes
to the equator.
3.Far periphery : Extends from equator to the ora serrata.The width of this belt varies, depending
upon the ocular size and refractive error.The belt of peripheral retina can be divided into 12 squares of
6x6 mm in size.

LAYER OF ROD AND CONES

OUTER NUCLEAR LAYER
RPE
Outermost layer consist of single layer of hexagonal
shape cell which contain pigment
It is firmly attached to underlying bruch’s membrane
and loosely attached to layer of rods and cones .
Space bet- RPE and sensory retina is called sub retinal
space. Seperation of RPE from sensory retina is called
retinal detachment .
On electron microscopy the adjacent RPE cells are
connected with each other by tight junction and
constitute the outer blood retinal barrier- Terminal
bar.
Terminal bar-( gap junction, zonula ocludens and
zonula adherens)
Zonula Ocludens forms the external forms the
external compomnent of the blood retinal barrier.
Rest of intra cellular space is filled by extra cellular
matrix – VERHOEFF’s MEMBRANE in light microscopy.
FUNCTIONS
Important role in photo receptor renewal and
recycling of Vit.A.
Absorption of scattered light by melanin granules.
Transport of nutrient and metabolites through extra
retinal blood barrier.
Inter photo receptor matrix participates in retinal
attachment of the retina to RPE and facilitates
phagocytosis of the shed discs of the outer cone
segments.
On the basal surface of RPE cells produce type 4
collagen , heparin sulfate and laminin which become
incorporated in lamina vitrea of Bruch’s Membrane.

ROD CELLS
40-60 µm
Cylindrical highly retractile
Transversely striated and
contains visual purple.
And has rod spherules.
CONE CELLS
40-80µm, largest at fovea
and shortest at periphery.
Contain iodopsin
Has cone pedicles/cone foot.

Ora serrata marks the transition between the

attenuated retina and inner columnar and non-
pigment cells of Pars ciliariinues as retinae
The RP continues anteriorly as the outer cuboidal cell
layer of the ciliary body.
Beginning at a younger age the cystoid degeneration at
the outer plexiform layer, more marked at the nasal
side.
They extend between the inner and the outer limiting
membrane in elders and communicate with the
vitreous leading to retinal detachment.4
MICROSCOPIC STRUCTURE OF RETINA
It has 10 layers:

• Retinal pigment epithelium

• Layers of rods and cones

• External limiting membrane

• Outer nuclear layer

5. Outer molecular(plexiform) layer
6. Inner nuclear layer
7. Inner molecular(plexiform) layer
8. Ganglion cell layer
9. Nerve fibre layer
10. Internal limiting membrane
EXTERNAL LIMITING MEMBRANE
From optic disc to ora serrata and becomes continuous
with the basal lamina between the pigmented and non
pigmented portion of the ciliary epithelium
FUNCTIONS-
Selective barrier for nutrients
Stabilization of the position of the transducing portion
of photoreceptor.
OUTER NUCLEAR LAYER
Contains soma and nuclei of photoreceptor cells.
Width varies
Nasal to disc 45µm- 8-9 rows of nuclei.
Temporal to disc 22µm- 4 rows of nuclei
Fovea- 50µm- 10 rows.
Rod nuclei form the bulk of this multilayered outer
nuclear layer except in foveal region.
OUTER PLEXIFORM LAYER
Synapse between rod and spherules and cone pedicles
with dentrites of bipolar cell and processes of
horizontal cells
Marks the junction of end organs of vision and
second order neurons in retina
Thickest at macula 51 µm consists of predominantly of
oblique fibres that have deviated from fovea also
known as HENLE’s LAYER.
INNER NUCLEAR LAYER
Very thin layer.
Disappear at fovea
Consists of :

• Bipolar cells

• Horizontal cells

• Amacrine cells

• Soma of Muller Cells

• Capillaries of central retinal arteries.
BIPOLAR CELLS
Second degree neuron in visual circuitry
35,676,000 bipolar cells
Oriented radially
9µm at fovea, 5µm at periphery
ORA SERRATA
Peripheral margin of the retina which consists of
Dentate fringe. The retina ends here and ciliary body
starts.
Here sensory retina is firmly attached to vitreous and
RPE
Servation are less developed temporally where cystic
degeneration is most common.
HORIZONTAL CELLS
Flat cells having numerous horizontal associative and
neuronal interconnection between photoreceptor and
bipolar cell in outer plexiform layer.
Unlike bipolar cell information is relayed radially
through the retina, horizontal form a network of fibres
that integrate the activity of photoreceptor cell
horizontally.
MULLER CELLS
Nucleus and cell bodies are within the inner nuclear
layer
They provide structural support and contribute to
metabolism of sensory retina
Retina contain other glial cells like Astrocytes,
microglial and oligodendrocytes.
INNER PLEXIFORM LAYER
Consists of synapse between axon and bipolar cells
and dentrites of ganglion cells .
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