Columns （功能柱）
The second major organizing principle of the neocortex is columns. Some columnar organization is visible in stained images, but most of the evidence for columns is based on how cells respond to different inputs.
新皮层种第二个主要的组织化结构是功能柱。在染色图中我们可以看到一些功能柱组织，但是功能柱存在的大部分证据是基于细胞在针对不同输入时所表现出的反应的。
When scientists use probes to see what makes neurons become active, they find that neurons that are vertically aligned, across different layers, respond to roughly the same input.
当科学家使用探头去试探到底是什么使得神经元变得活跃时，他们发现神经元跨越不同层级，以垂直分布的方式对同一个输入产生响应。
This drawing illustrates some of the response properties of cells in V1, the first cortical region to process information from the retina.
这个图说明了一个V1（第一视觉区）中细胞的一些响应特性，V1区就是视觉信号通过视网膜到达的第一个皮层区域。
One of the first discoveries was that most cells in V1 respond to lines or edges at different orientations at specific areas of the retina. Cells that are vertically aligned in columns all respond to edges with the same orientation. If you look carefully, you will see that the drawing shows a set of small lines at different orientations arrayed across the top of the section. These lines indicate what line orientation cells at that location respond to. Cells that are vertically aligned (within the thin vertical stripes) respond to the lines of the same orientation.
第一个发现是，V1区中大部分的细胞会对视网膜特定区域的不同角度方向的线与边角产生响应。功能柱中垂直分布的细胞都对同一个方向的边角产生响应。如果你仔细看的话，切片顶部显示了不同方向的一组线段。这些线段显示细胞对哪个方向的线产生响应。垂直分布的细胞（细细的竖条中）对同一个方向的线产生响应。
There are several other columnar properties seen in V1, two of which are shown in the drawing. There are “ocular dominance columns” where cells respond to similar combinations of left and right eye influence. And there are “blobs” where cells are primarily color sensitive. The ocular dominance columns are the larger blocks in the diagram. Each ocular dominance column includes a set of orientation columns. The “blobs” are the dark ovals.
V1中还有一些其他的功能柱特性。图中显示了其中的两个。一个是响应因左右眼影响而造成的相似组合的”优势眼功能柱”。一个是对颜色敏感的”细胞块”。优势眼功能柱是图中较大的方块。每一个优势眼功能柱都包含了一组方向功能柱。图中黑色椭圆的部分是”细胞块”。
The general rule for neocortex is that several different response properties are overlaid on one another, such as orientation and ocular dominance. As you move horizontally across the cortical surface, the combination of response properties exhibited by cells changes. However, vertically aligned neurons share the same set of response properties. This vertical alignment is true in auditory, visual, and somatosensory areas. There is some debate amongst neuroscientists whether this is true everywhere in the neocortex but it appears to be true in most areas if not all.
The second major organizing principle of the neocortex is columns. Some columnar organization is visible in stained images, but most of the evidence for columns is based on how cells respond to different inputs.
新皮层种第二个主要的组织化结构是功能柱。在染色图中我们可以看到一些功能柱组织，但是功能柱存在的大部分证据是基于细胞在针对不同输入时所表现出的反应的。
When scientists use probes to see what makes neurons become active, they find that neurons that are vertically aligned, across different layers, respond to roughly the same input.
当科学家使用探头去试探到底是什么使得神经元变得活跃时，他们发现神经元跨越不同层级，以垂直分布的方式对同一个输入产生响应。
This drawing illustrates some of the response properties of cells in V1, the first cortical region to process information from the retina.
这个图说明了一个V1（第一视觉区）中细胞的一些响应特性，V1区就是视觉信号通过视网膜到达的第一个皮层区域。
One of the first discoveries was that most cells in V1 respond to lines or edges at different orientations at specific areas of the retina. Cells that are vertically aligned in columns all respond to edges with the same orientation. If you look carefully, you will see that the drawing shows a set of small lines at different orientations arrayed across the top of the section. These lines indicate what line orientation cells at that location respond to. Cells that are vertically aligned (within the thin vertical stripes) respond to the lines of the same orientation.
第一个发现是，V1区中大部分的细胞会对视网膜特定区域的不同角度方向的线与边角产生响应。功能柱中垂直分布的细胞都对同一个方向的边角产生响应。如果你仔细看的话，切片顶部显示了不同方向的一组线段。这些线段显示细胞对哪个方向的线产生响应。垂直分布的细胞（细细的竖条中）对同一个方向的线产生响应。
There are several other columnar properties seen in V1, two of which are shown in the drawing. There are “ocular dominance columns” where cells respond to similar combinations of left and right eye influence. And there are “blobs” where cells are primarily color sensitive. The ocular dominance columns are the larger blocks in the diagram. Each ocular dominance column includes a set of orientation columns. The “blobs” are the dark ovals.
V1中还有一些其他的功能柱特性。图中显示了其中的两个。一个是响应因左右眼影响而造成的相似组合的”优势眼功能柱”。一个是对颜色敏感的”细胞块”。优势眼功能柱是图中较大的方块。每一个优势眼功能柱都包含了一组方向功能柱。图中黑色椭圆的部分是”细胞块”。
The general rule for neocortex is that several different response properties are overlaid on one another, such as orientation and ocular dominance. As you move horizontally across the cortical surface, the combination of response properties exhibited by cells changes. However, vertically aligned neurons share the same set of response properties. This vertical alignment is true in auditory, visual, and somatosensory areas. There is some debate amongst neuroscientists whether this is true everywhere in the neocortex but it appears to be true in most areas if not all.
