Skip to main content
Log in

Abstract

This investigation was directed at determining the count and regional distribution of photoreceptors in the eyes of 21 human cornea donors aged between 2 and 90 years. Mean count of rods was 60 123 000 ±12907000, and mean cone count was 3173000 ± 555000. Determined 40 μm away from the foveola, cone density measured 125 500 cones/mm2. Extrapolating the distribution curve, cone concentration in the foveal center can be assumed to be about 150 000 cells/mm2 to 180 000 cones/mm2. Towards the retinal periphery, cone density decreased from 6000 cones/mm2 at a distance of 1.5 mm from the fovea to 2500 cells/mm2 close to the ora serrata. Comparing different fundus regions, cone concentration was significantly highest in the nasal region. Cone diameter increased from the center towards the periphery. At a distance of 40 μm away from the foveola, it measured about 3.3 μm, and in the outer retinal regions about 10 μm Rod density was highest in a ring-like area at a distance of about 3–5 mm from the foveola with a mean of 72 246 ± 17 295 cells/mm2. Rod density peaked at 150 000 rods/mm2. It decreased towards the retinal periphery to 30 000–40 000 rods/mm2. Rod diameter increased from 3 μm at the area with the highest rod density to 5.5 μm in the periphery. The hexagonal rod and cone inner segments were regularly arranged in a honey-comb fashion.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Adams CK, Perez JM, Hawthorne MN (1974) Rod and cone densities in the rhesus. Invest Ophthalmol 13:885–888

    Google Scholar 

  2. Ahnelt PK, Kolb H, Pflug R (1987) Identification of a subtype of photoreceptor, likely to be blue-sensitive, in the human retina. J Comp Neurol 255:18–34

    Google Scholar 

  3. Aulhorn E (1964) Über die Beziehung zwischen Lichtsinn und Sehschärfe. Graefe's Arch Clin Exp Ophthalmol 167:4

    Google Scholar 

  4. Balazsi AG, Rootman J, Drance SM, Schulzer M, Douglas GR (1984) The effect of age on the nerve fiber population of the human optic nerve. Am J Ophthalmol 97:760–766

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  5. Boycott BB, Kolb H (1973) The horizontal cells of the rhesus retina. J Comp Neurol 148:115–139

    Google Scholar 

  6. Brody H (1955) Organization of the cerebral cortex. III. A study of aging in the human cerebral cortex. J Comp Neurol 102:511–556

    Google Scholar 

  7. Curcio CA, Sloan KR, Packer O, Hendrickson AE, Kalina RE (1987a) Distribution of cones in human and monkey retina: individual variability and radial asymmetry. Science 236:579–582

    Google Scholar 

  8. Curcio CA, Sloan KR, Kalina RE, Hendrickson AE (1987b) Human photoreceptor topography. J Comp Neurol 292:497–523

    Google Scholar 

  9. Curcio CA, Allen KA, Kalina RE (1990) Reorganization of the human photoreceptor mosaic following age-related rod loss. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci [Suppl] 31:38

    Google Scholar 

  10. Dawson WW, Maida TM (1984) Relations between the human retinal cone and ganglion cell distribution. Ophthalmologica 188:216

    Google Scholar 

  11. Dorey CK, Wu G, Ebenstein D, Garsd A, Weiter JJ (1989) Cell loss in the aging retina. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 30:1691

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  12. Farber DB, Flannery JG, Lolley RN, Bok D (1985) Distribution patterns of photoreceptor, protein, and cylic nucleotides in the human retina. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 26:1558–1568

    Google Scholar 

  13. Gao H, Rayborn ME, Myers KM, Hollyfield JG (1990) Differential loss of neurons during aging of the human retina. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci [Suppl] 31:357

    Google Scholar 

  14. Gartner S, Henkind P (1981) Aging and degeneration of the human macula. Br J Ophthalmol 65:23–28

    Google Scholar 

  15. Hartridge H (1950) Recent advances in the physiology of vision. Blakiston, Philadelphia

    Google Scholar 

  16. Jonas JB, Müller-Bergh JA, Schötzer-Schrehardt UM, Naumann GOH (1990) Histomorphometry of the human optic nerve. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 31:736–744

    Google Scholar 

  17. Kolb H, Wang HH (1985) The distribution of photoreceptors, dopaminergic amacrine cells and ganglion cells in the retina of the north American opossum (Didelphis virginiana). Vision Res 25:1207

    Google Scholar 

  18. Marshall J, Laties A (1985) Special pathology of the ageing macula. In: La Vail MM, Hollyfield JG, Anderson RE (eds) Retinal degeneration: experimental and clinical studies. Liss, New York, pp 389–400

    Google Scholar 

  19. O'Brien B (1951) Vision and resolution in the central retina. J Opt Soc Am 1: 882–984

    Google Scholar 

  20. Österberg GA (1935) Topography of the layer of rods and cones in the human retina. Acta Ophthalmol [Suppl] 13:6,1–102

    Google Scholar 

  21. Packer O, Hendrickson AE, Curcio CA (1989) Photoreceptor topography of the retina in the adult pigtail macaque (Macaca nemestrina). J Comp Neurol 288:165–183

    Google Scholar 

  22. Perry VH, Cowey A (1985) The ganglion cell and cone distribution in the monkey's retina: implications for central magnification factors. Vision Res 12:1795–1810

    Google Scholar 

  23. Polyak SL (1957) The vertebrate visual system. University of Chicago, Chicago

    Google Scholar 

  24. Rolls ET, Cowey A (1970) Topography of the retina and striate cortex and its relationships to visual acuity in rhesus monkeys and squirrel monkeys. Exp Brain Res 10:298–310

    Google Scholar 

  25. Steinberg RH, Reid M, Lacey PL (1973) The distribution of rods and cones in the retina of the cat (Felis domesticus). J Comp Neurol 148:229–248

    Google Scholar 

  26. Van Buren A (1963) The retinal ganglion cell layer. Thomas, Springfield, pp 1–43

    Google Scholar 

  27. Wikler KC, Williams RW, Rakic P (1990) Photoreceptor mosaic: number and distribution of cones and rods in the rhesus monkey retina. J Comp Neurol 297:499–508

    Google Scholar 

  28. Young RW (1971) The renewal of the rod and cone outer segments in the rhesus monkey. J Cell Biol 49:303–318

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Additional information

Supported by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (Klinische Forschergruppe ”Glaukome„ Na 55/6-1/Jo)

Correspondence to: J.B. Jonas

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Jonas, J.B., Schneider, U. & Naumann, G.O.H. Count and density of human retinal photoreceptors. Graefe's Arch Clin Exp Ophthalmol 230, 505–510 (1992). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00181769

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00181769

Keywords

Navigation