Search research articles

ABOUT JoVE

Overview Leadership Blog JoVE Help Center

AUTHORS

Publishing Process Editorial Board Scope & Policies Peer Review FAQ Submit

LIBRARIANS

Testimonials Subscriptions Access Resources Library Advisory Board FAQ

RESEARCH

JoVE Journal Methods Collections JoVE Encyclopedia of Experiments Archive

EDUCATION

JoVE Core JoVE Business JoVE Science Education JoVE Lab Manual Faculty Resource Center Faculty Site

Terms & Conditions of Use

Related Concept Videos

Vision

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.

Anatomy of the Eyeball

Anatomy of the Eyeball

The eye is a spherical, hollow structure composed of three tissue layers. The outer layer — the fibrous tunic, comprises the sclera — a white structure — and the cornea, which is transparent. The sclera encompasses some of the ocular surface, most of which is not visible. However, the 'white of the eye' is distinctively visible in humans compared to other species. The cornea, a clear covering at the front of the eye, enables light penetration. The eye's middle layer, the vascular tunic,...

Focusing of Light in the Eye

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...

Photoreceptors and Visual Pathways

Photoreceptors and Visual Pathways

At the molecular level, visual signals trigger transformations in photopigment molecules, resulting in changes in the photoreceptor cell's membrane potential. The photon's energy level is denoted by its wavelength, with each specific wavelength of visible light associated with a distinct color. The spectral range of visible light, classified as electromagnetic radiation, spans from 380 to 720 nm. Electromagnetic radiation wavelengths exceeding 720 nm fall under the infrared category, whereas...

Depth Perception and Spatial Vision

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 System

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...

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by

Same author

Factors in the diagnosis of aniseikonia and paired Maddox-rod tests.

American journal of ophthalmology·2010

Same author

Oblique aniseikonia with left hyperphoria and cyclophoria.

American journal of ophthalmology·2010

Same author

Fate of ingested beta-indolyl acetic acid in Creontiades dilutus.

Journal of insect physiology·1977

Same author

The accessory salivary gland as the source of water in the saliva of Hemiptera: Heteroptera.

Experientia·1976

Same author

Transport of whole protein molecules from blood to saliva of a plant bug.

Experientia·1970

Same author

The physiological division of labour in the salivary glands of Oncopeltus fasciatus (Dall.) (Heteroptera: Lygaeidae).

Australian journal of biological sciences·1967

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jul 24, 2026

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

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

Published on: July 21, 2020

Errors in space perception due to accommodative retinal advance.

American Journal of Optometry and Physiological Optics

|September 1, 1975

Summary

Accommodative retinal advance, a forward retinal shift during accommodation, explains spatial perception errors. This phenomenon, involving ciliary muscle contraction, clarifies previously misunderstood visual distortions.

Area of Science:

Ophthalmology
Neuroscience
Visual Perception

Background:

The retina can shift forward due to ciliary muscle contraction during accommodation.
This accommodative retinal advance (ARA) causes asymmetrical image distortion.
Existing theories often attribute spatial perception errors to retinal receptor density or cerebral activity.

Purpose of the Study:

To define and explain accommodative retinal advance (ARA).
To demonstrate how ARA accounts for specific spatial perception errors.
To re-evaluate historical theories of visual perception in light of ARA.

Main Methods:

Conceptual analysis of accommodative retinal advance.
Review of literature on spatial perception errors (horopter error, alley error, Aubert-Foerster phenomenon).

More Related Videos

Quantification of Oculomotor Responses and Accommodation Through Instrumentation and Analysis Toolboxes

Quantification of Oculomotor Responses and Accommodation Through Instrumentation and Analysis Toolboxes

Published on: March 3, 2023

A Gaze-Contingent Display Framework for Perceptual Learning Research with Simulated Central Vision Loss

A Gaze-Contingent Display Framework for Perceptual Learning Research with Simulated Central Vision Loss

Published on: April 11, 2025

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jul 24, 2026

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

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

Published on: July 21, 2020

Quantification of Oculomotor Responses and Accommodation Through Instrumentation and Analysis Toolboxes

Quantification of Oculomotor Responses and Accommodation Through Instrumentation and Analysis Toolboxes

Published on: March 3, 2023

A Gaze-Contingent Display Framework for Perceptual Learning Research with Simulated Central Vision Loss

A Gaze-Contingent Display Framework for Perceptual Learning Research with Simulated Central Vision Loss

Published on: April 11, 2025

Comparison of ARA with existing explanations for these errors.

Main Results:

ARA involves a forward shift of the retina by 0.5 mm at maximum accommodation.
This shift creates a distorted retinal image, akin to a stretched rubber sheet.
ARA provides a unified explanation for phenomena previously attributed to other causes.

Conclusions:

Accommodative retinal advance is a key mechanism explaining spatial perception errors.
It offers a more parsimonious explanation than receptor crowding or complex cerebral processing.
Historical experimental findings support the concept of ARA.