Henle's layer

Henle's layer is a part of the human eye's retina. Named after the German anatomist Friedrich Gustav Jakob Henle, it is also known as the outer nuclear layer or Henle's nuclear layer.

Etymology

The layer is named after Friedrich Gustav Jakob Henle, a German anatomist and pathologist who made significant contributions to the understanding of the microscopic structure of human tissues.

Structure

Henle's layer is located in the retina, the light-sensitive layer of tissue at the back of the eye. It is situated between the outer plexiform layer and the photoreceptor layer, and is composed of the cell bodies of photoreceptor cells.

Function

The primary function of Henle's layer is to house the cell bodies of the photoreceptor cells, which are responsible for converting light into electrical signals that can be processed by the brain to form visual images. These photoreceptor cells include both rods and cones, which are specialized for different aspects of vision.

Clinical significance

Damage or disease affecting Henle's layer can lead to vision loss or impairment. For example, macular degeneration, a common cause of vision loss in older adults, often involves damage to the photoreceptor cells in Henle's layer.

See also

• Retina
• Photoreceptor cell
• Macular degeneration

References

Henle's layer Resources
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