Which statement about the parafovea is NOT true?

• A. It is considered the thickest area of the retina
• B. It contains the largest number of bipolar cells
• C. It contains the largest number of ganglion cells
• D. It only contains the same 6 layers of retina as the foveal region (RPE OHI)

Answer: (D)

The parafovea surrounds the fovea and hosts a thicker inner retina with a high density of bipolar and ganglion cells, providing substantial processing of signals before they reach the optic nerve. The fovea itself is specialized for high acuity: inner retinal layers are displaced to the sides to form a pit, so the central retina becomes thin and lacks some inner layers. Because of this arrangement, the parafovea does not simply contain the same six retinal layers as the fovea; it retains the full complement of layers, including the nerve fiber layer and ganglion cell layer, which are minimized in the foveal center. This is why the statement claiming they share exactly the same six layers is not true.