How Do You Spell AMACRINE CELL?

1. Amacrine cells are specialized neurons found in the retina of the eye. They are part of the innermost layer of cells within the retina, known as the inner nuclear layer.

   Amacrine cells function as interneurons, meaning they primarily serve to transmit and process information between other types of retinal cells, specifically bipolar cells and ganglion cells. They play a crucial role in modulating the flow of visual information and integrating signals from multiple photoreceptor cells to enhance visual perception.

   Amacrine cells have extensive dendritic arbors and use chemical synapses to communicate with other retinal cells. They are often characterized by their lack of an axon, meaning they do not transmit electrical signals over long distances like other neurons do.

   There are several types of amacrine cells, each with different morphological and functional properties. These subtypes are identified based on their neurotransmitter content, receptor expression, and connectivity patterns within the retinal circuitry.

   Overall, amacrine cells contribute to various visual processes, such as regulating the receptive field properties of ganglion cells, mediating contrast enhancement, integrating signals from different regions of the retina, and participating in motion detection. Their complex interactions with other retinal neurons make them a fundamental component of the information processing that occurs within the visual system.

2. See amacrine.

   A practical medical dictionary. By Stedman, Thomas Lathrop. Published 1920.

Common Misspellings for AMACRINE CELL

The etymology of the word "amacrine cell" comes from two different sources.

The term "amacrine" derives from the Greek words "a" meaning "not" or "without" and "macrós" meaning "long". This refers to the fact that amacrine cells in the retina lack a long axon, distinguishing them from other types of retinal neurons.

The term "cell" originates from the Latin word "cella" that means "small room" or "chamber". This term is used to describe the basic structural and functional unit of living organisms. In the context of amacrine cells, it refers to the individual nerve cells found in the retina that play a role in visual processing and information integration.

Combining these two roots, the word "amacrine cell" describes a particular type of cell in the retina that lacks a long axon and is involved in the processing of visual information.

Plural form of AMACRINE CELL is AMACRINE CELLS