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Related Concept Videos

Vision01:24

Vision

Vision is the result of light being detected and transduced into neural signals by the retina of the eye. This information is then further analyzed and interpreted by the brain. First, light enters the front of the eye and is focused by the cornea and lens onto the retina—a thin sheet of neural tissue lining the back of the eye. Because of refraction through the convex lens of the eye, images are projected onto the retina upside-down and reversed.
Angle Closure Glaucoma: Treatment01:28

Angle Closure Glaucoma: Treatment

Angle-closure glaucoma, or closed-angle glaucoma, is an eye condition where the iris bulges out and blocks the iridocorneal angle, resulting in a buildup of aqueous humor and increased intraocular pressure. Immediate medical attention is necessary due to the sudden onset of symptoms. The treatment for angle-closure glaucoma includes short-term and long-term approaches. Short-term treatment involves using eye drops like pilocarpine to lower intraocular pressure by increasing aqueous humor...
Focusing of Light in the Eye01:16

Focusing of Light in the Eye

Light rays enter the eye through the cornea, a transparent dome-shaped tissue that is the eye's outermost layer. The cornea bends or refracts, light rays traveling to the pupil. The shape of the cornea determines how much of the light is bent and whether the image will be focused correctly on the retina at the back of the eye. Once the light has passed through both refraction layers, it converges into a single focal point onto a small area. This is where photoreceptors start transforming...
Depth Perception and Spatial Vision01:15

Depth Perception and Spatial Vision

Depth perception is the ability to perceive objects three-dimensionally. It relies on two types of cues: binocular and monocular. Binocular cues depend on the combination of images from both eyes and how the eyes work together. Since the eyes are in slightly different positions, each eye captures a slightly different image. This disparity between images, known as binocular disparity, helps the brain interpret depth. When the brain compares these images, it determines the distance to an object.
Visual System01:26

Visual System

Light enters the eye through the cornea, a transparent, dome-shaped surface covering the surface of the eyeball that helps to direct and focus incoming light. This light is then channeled toward the pupil, an adjustable opening whose size is controlled by the iris. The iris, a pigmented muscle, regulates the amount of light entering the eye by contracting or dilating the pupil, thereby ensuring optimal light levels for clear vision.
Once through the pupil, the light passes through the lens, a...
Color Vision01:24

Color Vision

Color perception begins in the retina, the light-sensitive layer at the back of the eye. Two main theories explain how colors are seen: the trichromatic theory and the opponent-process theory. The trichromatic theory, proposed by Thomas Young in 1802 and extended by Hermann von Helmholtz in 1852, suggests that color vision is based on three types of cone receptors in the retina. These cones are sensitive to different but overlapping ranges of wavelengths corresponding to red, blue, and green.

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 24, 2026

Assessing Binocular Central Visual Field and Binocular Eye Movements in a Dichoptic Viewing Condition
07:45

Assessing Binocular Central Visual Field and Binocular Eye Movements in a Dichoptic Viewing Condition

Published on: July 21, 2020

Vision. Realignment of cones after cataract removal.

H S Smallman1, D I MacLeod, P Doyle

  • 1Department of Psychology, University of California at San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093, USA. smallman@pacific-science.com

Nature
|August 9, 2001
PubMed
Summary

Retinal photoreceptors, the cells responsible for vision, quickly move towards bright light after cataract removal. This suggests cone cells might be phototropic, actively seeking light sources.

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Last Updated: Jun 24, 2026

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Area of Science:

  • Ophthalmology
  • Cell Biology
  • Neuroscience

Background:

  • Congenital cataracts cause vision impairment by blocking light.
  • Understanding light's effect on retinal cells is crucial for vision restoration.
  • Photoreceptor behavior post-vision restoration is not well-documented.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the dynamic behavior of retinal photoreceptors after cataract removal.
  • To explore the potential phototropic nature of cone cells in adult humans.

Main Methods:

  • Observation of an adult patient undergoing bilateral congenital cataract removal.
  • Analysis of retinal photoreceptor alignment relative to light stimuli within the pupil.

Main Results:

  • Evidence of swift photoreceptor realignment towards the brightest areas in the pupil.
  • Observation suggests cones may actively orient towards light sources.

Conclusions:

  • Retinal photoreceptors demonstrate rapid directional movement in response to light after vision is restored.
  • Findings support the hypothesis that cone photoreceptors exhibit phototropism.