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.

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...

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...

Accessory Structures of the Eye

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...

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...

You might also read

Related Articles

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

Sort by

Same author

Light at night and myopia: from association to mechanism.

Science China. Life sciences·2026

Same author

A multisensory hub for resilience: LC-vLGN/IGL circuits in stress coping.

Neuron·2026

Same author

Pathway-selective 5-HT<sub>1A</sub>R agonist as a rapid antidepressant strategy.

Cell·2025

Same author

Segregated supramammillary-dentate gyrus circuits modulate cognitive and affective function in healthy and Alzheimer's disease model mice.

Neuron·2025

Same author

A framework of biomarkers for visual system aging: a consensus statement by the Aging Biomarker Consortium.

Life medicine·2025

Same author

Non-invasive light flickering reinstates visual plasticity in adult mice via lipocalin 2.

BMC biology·2025

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jul 3, 2026

Vision Training Methods for Sports Concussion Mitigation and Management

Vision Training Methods for Sports Concussion Mitigation and Management

Published on: May 5, 2015

How vision begins: an odyssey.

Dong-Gen Luo¹, Tian Xue, King-Wai Yau

¹Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA.

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America

|July 18, 2008

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

The eye's rods and cones detect light, from single photons to extreme brightness changes. Recent research deepens our understanding of these visual processes and their clinical applications.

More Related Videos

Using Looming Visual Stimuli to Evaluate Mouse Vision

Using Looming Visual Stimuli to Evaluate Mouse Vision

Published on: June 13, 2019

Using the Horseshoe Crab, Limulus Polyphemus, in Vision Research

Using the Horseshoe Crab, Limulus Polyphemus, in Vision Research

Published on: July 3, 2009

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jul 3, 2026

Vision Training Methods for Sports Concussion Mitigation and Management

Vision Training Methods for Sports Concussion Mitigation and Management

Published on: May 5, 2015

Using Looming Visual Stimuli to Evaluate Mouse Vision

Using Looming Visual Stimuli to Evaluate Mouse Vision

Published on: June 13, 2019

Using the Horseshoe Crab, Limulus Polyphemus, in Vision Research

Using the Horseshoe Crab, Limulus Polyphemus, in Vision Research

Published on: July 3, 2009

Area of Science:

Vision science
Phototransduction
Cellular biology

Background:

Retinal rods and cones are the eye's primary photoreceptors.
They possess remarkable sensitivity, detecting single photons.
They adapt to a 10^9-fold range of light intensities.

Observation:

The initial steps of light detection are well-understood.
Deeper investigation reveals increasing complexity in visual processes.
Recent discoveries continue to expand knowledge in this field.

Findings:

Key developments in understanding visual phototransduction occurred from the mid-1960s to the late 1980s.
More recent research has uncovered intricate details of rod and cone function.
A comparative analysis highlights the distinct yet complementary roles of rods and cones.

Implications:

Understanding vision has implications for odorant sensing mechanisms.
Advances in basic science directly benefit clinical ophthalmology.
This knowledge aids in diagnosing and treating visual disorders.