page_title: Orientation column
section_title: Moire interference
hierarchical_section_title: Orientation column / Modeling / Moire interference
caption_attribution_description: Moire (type quadrat)
context_page_description: Orientation columns are organized regions of neurons that are excited by visual line stimuli of varying angles. These columns are located in the primary visual cortex and span multiple cortical layers. The geometry of the orientation columns are arranged in slabs that are perpendicular to the surface of the primary visual cortex.
context_section_description: A highly debated model for the origin of orientation maps is Moiré interference from retinal ganglion cells (RGCs). The ideal case takes two layers of perfect hexagonal lattices of the on-center and off-center receptive fields of the RGCs. These two layers are superimposed on each other with an angled offset that produces a periodic interference pattern. This pattern produces dipoles of these RGCs that have a preferred orientation scattered throughout the visual field. This mosaic produces periodic map of preferred orientation that fulfills all orientations with regularity.  Cortical inputs from this mosaic of RGCs through the LGN can explain the origin of the orientation maps in the visual cortex.
caption: An example of a Moiré interference pattern. The offset of the two lattices creates a dipole of retinal ganglion cells. This dipole is orientated in various directions that correspond to a specific orientation.
exif: {}