<p><strong>Short answer</strong><br>
Yes, retinal circuitry enhances the perception of contrast.  </p>

<p><strong>Background</strong><br>
In the retina, the neurons that guide the visual signal to the brain, the <a href="http://thebrain.mcgill.ca/flash/a/a_02/a_02_cl/a_02_cl_vis/a_02_cl_vis.html" rel="nofollow noreferrer">retinal ganglion cells</a> (RGCs), process contrast. The <a href="http://hubel.med.harvard.edu/book/b10.htm" rel="nofollow noreferrer">receptive fields</a> (RFs) of these cells exhibit a so-called <strong><a href="http://www.cns.nyu.edu/~david/courses/perception/lecturenotes/ganglion/ganglion.html" rel="nofollow noreferrer">center-surround</a></strong> organization (Fig. 1). They integrate the signal from multiple cones in the retina. ON RGCs fire when their RF is illuminated in the center (the central cone in the retina in the RF is illuminated) and they are inhibited when their surround is illuminated. OFF-center RGCs do the reverse. Together this organization results in sharpening of contrasts and aids in the coding of edges and contours. <a href="http://webvision.med.utah.edu/book/part-iii-retinal-circuits/midget-pathways-of-the-primate-retina-underly-resolution/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Midget cells</a> also have RFs like this.</p>

<p>Remember that the retina is considered a part of the central nervous system by some. Thi because of its embryological origins, but also because of its complexity.</p>

<p>Note that further processing of contrast and edges occurs in the primary visual cortex (V1) <a href="http://webvision.med.utah.edu/book/part-ix-psychophysics-of-vision/the-primary-visual-cortex/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">(Schmolesky, 2002)</a> and that awareness of that contrast information, i.e., the <strong>perception</strong> of edges, patterns and objects within the visual field occurs at high-tier associative cortices <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16271507" rel="nofollow noreferrer">(Lorreys, 2005)</a>.</p>

<p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/vggNv.png" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/vggNv.png" alt="RGC RFs"></a><br>
<sup>Center-surround RFs in RGCs. ON cells (left) fire when illuminated in the center, and are inhibited when illuminated in the surround. OFF cells have a reversed pattern (right). source: <a href="https://white.stanford.edu/teach/index.php/Fundamental_Psychophysical_Experiments:_Color_discrimination_contours,_colorblind_perceptions,_and_contrast_sensitivity" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Stanford University</a></sup> </p>

<p><sub><strong>References</strong><br>
<strong>-</strong> <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16271507" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Lorreys, <em>Trends Cogn Sci</em> (2005); <strong>9</strong>(12):556-9</a><br>
<strong>-</strong> <a href="http://webvision.med.utah.edu/book/part-ix-psychophysics-of-vision/the-primary-visual-cortex/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Schmolesky, <em>Webvision, The Organization of the Retina and Visual System</em>, Kolb <em>et al</em>. (eds). Utah University</a></sub></p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2016-05-18T09:14:07.830Z
2018-07-06T13:23:21.097Z
2018-07-06T13:23:21.097Z
AliceD
<p>I think there is a phenomenon behind the way which our eyes judge between lines of contrast, like black lines on a white page, by just recognizing the contrast areas at the level of the rods and cones. I don't understand how this phenomenon works in the retina. </p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-12-08T15:51:15.450Z
are you referring to edge detection? see http://cogsci.stackexchange.com/questions/9668/are-the-center-surround-receptive-fields-learnt-or-inherited
honi
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-12-09T23:06:39.317Z
The eyes don't distinguish anything - they just send information higher up the nervous system (much as your computer keyboard isn't the one rendering text on your screen). The detection you are talking about is a feature of low-level visual cognition.
Izhaki
<neuroscience><vision><neurophysiology><sensation><sensory-perception>
Does the retina contribute in distinguishing lines and borders?
Usman Mehmood
# Does the retina contribute in distinguishing lines and borders?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2015-12-08)

I think there is a phenomenon behind the way which our eyes judge between lines of contrast, like black lines on a white page, by just recognizing the contrast areas at the level of the rods and cones. I don't understand how this phenomenon works in the retina.

**Tags:** neuroscience, vision, neurophysiology, sensation, sensory-perception

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: are you referring to edge detection? see http://cogsci.stackexchange.com/questions/9668/are-the-center-surround-receptive-fields-learnt-or-inherited  
> **username_2**: The eyes don't distinguish anything - they just send information higher up the nervous system (much as your computer keyboard isn't the one rendering text on your screen). The detection you are talking about is a feature of low-level visual cognition.  

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## 1 answers

### Answer by username_3 on 2016-05-18. Score: 2

**Short answer**  
Yes, retinal circuitry enhances the perception of contrast.

**Background**  
In the retina, the neurons that guide the visual signal to the brain, the [retinal ganglion cells](http://thebrain.mcgill.ca/flash/a/a_02/a_02_cl/a_02_cl_vis/a_02_cl_vis.html) (RGCs), process contrast. The [receptive fields](http://hubel.med.harvard.edu/book/b10.htm) (RFs) of these cells exhibit a so-called **[center-surround](http://www.cns.nyu.edu/~david/courses/perception/lecturenotes/ganglion/ganglion.html)** organization (Fig. 1). They integrate the signal from multiple cones in the retina. ON RGCs fire when their RF is illuminated in the center (the central cone in the retina in the RF is illuminated) and they are inhibited when their surround is illuminated. OFF-center RGCs do the reverse. Together this organization results in sharpening of contrasts and aids in the coding of edges and contours. [Midget cells](http://webvision.med.utah.edu/book/part-iii-retinal-circuits/midget-pathways-of-the-primate-retina-underly-resolution/) also have RFs like this.

Remember that the retina is considered a part of the central nervous system by some. Thi because of its embryological origins, but also because of its complexity.

Note that further processing of contrast and edges occurs in the primary visual cortex (V1) [(Schmolesky, 2002)](http://webvision.med.utah.edu/book/part-ix-psychophysics-of-vision/the-primary-visual-cortex/) and that awareness of that contrast information, i.e., the **perception** of edges, patterns and objects within the visual field occurs at high-tier associative cortices [(Lorreys, 2005)](http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16271507).

[![RGC RFs](https://i.sstatic.net/vggNv.png)](https://i.sstatic.net/vggNv.png)  
Center-surround RFs in RGCs. ON cells (left) fire when illuminated in the center, and are inhibited when illuminated in the surround. OFF cells have a reversed pattern (right). source: [Stanford University](https://white.stanford.edu/teach/index.php/Fundamental_Psychophysical_Experiments:_Color_discrimination_contours,_colorblind_perceptions,_and_contrast_sensitivity)

**References**  
**-** [Lorreys, *Trends Cogn Sci* (2005); **9**(12):556-9](http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16271507)  
**-** [Schmolesky, *Webvision, The Organization of the Retina and Visual System*, Kolb *et al*. (eds). Utah University](http://webvision.med.utah.edu/book/part-ix-psychophysics-of-vision/the-primary-visual-cortex/)


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