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Related Concept Videos

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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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...
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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.
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Sensation01:21

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Sensory receptors are specialized neurons that respond to specific types of external stimuli, initiating the process known as sensation. This occurs when sensory input, such as light entering the eye, is detected by these receptors, causing chemical changes in the cells of the retina. These cells then convert the sensory stimulus into action potentials that are transmitted to the central nervous system, a process termed transduction.
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Cross-Modal Multivariate Pattern Analysis
13:51

Cross-Modal Multivariate Pattern Analysis

Published on: November 9, 2011

Induction from a below-threshold chromatic pattern.

Patrick Monnier1, Steven K Shevell

  • 1Department of Psychology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523-1876, USA. patrick.monnier@colostate.edu

Journal of Vision
|October 4, 2008
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Even invisible patterned backgrounds can alter color perception. This study shows subthreshold S-cone contrast patterns shift color appearance, influencing how we see colors against them.

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Area of Science:

  • Visual perception
  • Color science
  • Ophthalmology

Background:

  • Patterned backgrounds can significantly alter color appearance.
  • Previous research showed effects at 10% S-cone contrast.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate if below-threshold S-cone contrast patterns can induce color shifts.
  • To determine if the visual system uses color appearance shifts for background detection.

Main Methods:

  • Measured S-cone contrast detection thresholds using a 2AFC procedure.
  • Presented a test ring within patterned backgrounds of subthreshold contrast.
  • Used asymmetric color matching to quantify color shifts.

Main Results:

  • Observers could distinguish patterned from homogeneous backgrounds even with subthreshold S-cone contrast.
  • Subthreshold S-cone patterns demonstrably shifted the color appearance of a central test ring.
  • Asymmetric color matches confirmed color shifts induced by below-threshold patterns.

Conclusions:

  • Color appearance can be modulated by patterned backgrounds with contrast below the detection threshold.
  • The visual system may utilize perceived color shifts to infer the presence of subthreshold background patterns.
  • This suggests a more sensitive role for color appearance in visual scene analysis than previously thought.