Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

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...
Accessory Structures of the Eye01:17

Accessory Structures of the Eye

Optical perception, or vision, is an extraordinary sense dependent on converting light signals received via the ocular organs. These organs, known as eyes, are securely positioned within the bony cavities of the skull, called orbits. The orbits serve a dual purpose: a protective shield for the ocular globes and a stable attachment point for the soft ocular tissues. The eye's external protective mechanisms include the eyelids, which are edged with lashes that act as a barrier against foreign...
Muscles of the Eye01:20

Muscles of the Eye

The muscles of the eye are sophisticated structures that control eye movement and focus, allowing for the precise and rapid adjustments necessary for vision. The human eye is controlled by ten muscles — six extraocular muscles, three intraocular muscles, and one primary eyelid retractor muscle.
Extraocular Muscles
The six extraocular muscles surround the eyeball and control its movements. They are responsible for a wide range of eye motions, including looking up, down, left, right, and rotating...
Anatomy of the Eyeball01:20

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,...

You might also read

Related Articles

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

Sort by
Same author

Abundance, Diet and Foraging of Galápagos Barn Owls (<i>Tyto furcata punctatissima</i>).

Animals : an open access journal from MDPI·2025
Same author

Interaction of barn owl leading edge serrations with freestream turbulence.

Bioinspiration & biomimetics·2024
Same author

Model organisms and systems in neuroethology: one hundred years of history and a look into the future.

Journal of comparative physiology. A, Neuroethology, sensory, neural, and behavioral physiology·2024
Same author

A Comparison of Aerodynamic Parameters in Two Subspecies of the American Barn Owl (<i>Tyto furcata</i>).

Animals : an open access journal from MDPI·2022
Same author

Development of the horizontal optocollic reflex in juvenile barn owls (Tyto furcata pratincola).

Journal of comparative physiology. A, Neuroethology, sensory, neural, and behavioral physiology·2022
Same author

Optocollic responses in adult barn owls (Tyto furcata).

Journal of comparative physiology. A, Neuroethology, sensory, neural, and behavioral physiology·2021

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jul 11, 2026

Ocular Kinematics Measured by In Vitro Stimulation of the Cranial Nerves in the Turtle
10:49

Ocular Kinematics Measured by In Vitro Stimulation of the Cranial Nerves in the Turtle

Published on: June 2, 2018

Ocular aberrations in barn owl eyes.

Wolf M Harmening1, Michael A Vobig, Peter Walter

  • 1Department of Zoology and Animal Physiology, RWTH Aachen University, Kopernikusstrasse 16, 52056, Aachen, Germany. wolf@bio2.rwth-aachen.de

Vision Research
|September 12, 2007
PubMed
Summary

Barn owl eyes exhibit excellent optical quality, with low wavefront aberrations measured using a Tscherning-type aberrometer. These findings indicate superior image resolution in these nocturnal predators.

More Related Videos

Using Eye-tracking to Assess the Relative Importance of Visual and Vestibular Input to Subcortical Motion Processing in the Roll Plane
07:24

Using Eye-tracking to Assess the Relative Importance of Visual and Vestibular Input to Subcortical Motion Processing in the Roll Plane

Published on: August 22, 2025

In vivo Structural Assessments of Ocular Disease in Rodent Models using Optical Coherence Tomography
07:44

In vivo Structural Assessments of Ocular Disease in Rodent Models using Optical Coherence Tomography

Published on: July 24, 2020

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jul 11, 2026

Ocular Kinematics Measured by In Vitro Stimulation of the Cranial Nerves in the Turtle
10:49

Ocular Kinematics Measured by In Vitro Stimulation of the Cranial Nerves in the Turtle

Published on: June 2, 2018

Using Eye-tracking to Assess the Relative Importance of Visual and Vestibular Input to Subcortical Motion Processing in the Roll Plane
07:24

Using Eye-tracking to Assess the Relative Importance of Visual and Vestibular Input to Subcortical Motion Processing in the Roll Plane

Published on: August 22, 2025

In vivo Structural Assessments of Ocular Disease in Rodent Models using Optical Coherence Tomography
07:44

In vivo Structural Assessments of Ocular Disease in Rodent Models using Optical Coherence Tomography

Published on: July 24, 2020

Area of Science:

  • Comparative physiology
  • Ophthalmology
  • Animal vision

Background:

  • Assessing ocular optical quality is crucial for understanding animal visual systems.
  • Barn owls (Tyto alba) possess unique adaptations for nocturnal hunting, suggesting specialized visual capabilities.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To quantify the optical quality of barn owl eyes.
  • To measure ocular wavefront aberrations in barn owls under natural viewing conditions.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized a standard Tscherning-type wavefront aberrometer.
  • Measured wavefront aberrations in barn owl eyes with a 6 mm pupil.
  • Ensured eyes were focused within 0.4D of the aberrometer plane.

Main Results:

  • Total root mean square (RMS) wavefront error ranged from 0.06 to 0.15 micrometers (mean: 0.10 micrometers).
  • Low standard deviation (0.03 micrometers) indicates consistent optical performance.
  • Defocus was cancelled during measurement.

Conclusions:

  • Barn owl eyes demonstrate excellent optical quality.
  • The measured low aberrations suggest high image-forming capability, supporting their predatory success.