the outermost layer of the cerebral layer of retina, composed of the primary receptor cells of the retina; this area consists of two layers: 1) a layer of inner and outer segments [TA] made up of the rods and cones, the photosensitive processes of the receptor cells, and 2) the outer nuclear layer [TA] containing the cell bodies of these cells; the outer limiting membrane (outer limiting layer [TA]) forms a perforated supporting plate between the two sublayers; the name signifies that the retinal receptor cells are a specialized form of (epithelial) ependyma cell and thus, in a sense, are comparable with the neuroepithelial cells (e.g., hair cells) of other sense organs. SYN: external nuclear layer of retina, stratum neuroepitheliale retinae.