Carl Bergmann (1814-1865) and the discovery of the anatomical site in the retina where vision is initiated.
J Hist Neurosci
; 33(2): 180-203, 2024.
Article
em En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-38109332
ABSTRACT
A preeminent quest of nineteenth-century visual neuroscience was to identify the anatomical elements of the retina that respond to light. A major breakthrough came in 1854, when Carl Bergmann discovered through direct observation that the human fovea contains only rods and cones. On this basis, he argued that these must necessarily be the light-sensitive elements (i.e., photoreceptors) that initiate vision. Bergmann also argued that Henle's fibers form part of the necessary anatomical link between these distal elements and the proximal ganglion cells, which transmit visual signals to the brain via the optic nerve. However, despite his achievement, Heinrich Müller, not Bergmann, is remembered as the discoverer of human photoreceptors in the literature. This article seeks to correct the record. It situates Bergmann's work alongside that of his contemporaries, sets out his arguments and the critique he received using archival documents, and makes this history more accessible for current readers by comparing what was said to what we know now. We argue that Bergmann's arguments are at least as compelling as those of Müller, and that he should be recognized as a codiscoverer of the anatomic site in the retina where vision is initiated.
Palavras-chave
Texto completo:
1
Coleções:
01-internacional
Base de dados:
MEDLINE
Assunto principal:
Retina
/
Visão Ocular
Limite:
Humans
/
Male
Idioma:
En
Revista:
J Hist Neurosci
Assunto da revista:
HISTORIA DA MEDICINA
/
NEUROLOGIA
Ano de publicação:
2024
Tipo de documento:
Article
País de afiliação:
Estados Unidos