NEUROTRANSMITTERS IN THE RETINA

Processing of visual information within the retina depends in large me asure upon a complement of chemical neurotransmitters which are releas ed at synaptic contacts between individual neurons. Numerous investiga tors have participated in the identification of many of these transmit ters and their assignment to specific neuronal subpopulations. However , it is now clear that the action of each transmitter depends upon the receptor molecules to which it binds. Multidisciplinary studies are u nderway to characterize these receptors as well as to investigate tran sporter molecules which may serve not only to inactivate certain neuro transmitters but may also function in their release.