Biology / Unit 12 Bio 2913 short lesson, about 20 seconds
Retinal Processing: Lateral Inhibition
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The idea
Horizontal cells inhibit neighboring photoreceptors and bipolar cells when one is stimulated, a process called lateral inhibition that sharpens edges and boosts contrast before signals leave the retina.
In practice
Lateral inhibition makes a lit region appear brighter and its dark surroundings darker at their boundary.
Where people slip
Significant visual processing happens within the retina itself, before the optic nerve, not only in the visual cortex.
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