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

Perceptual Constancy

Perceptual Constancy

Perceptual constancy is the ability to recognize that objects remain consistent and unchanged even when their appearance varies due to changes in sensory input. There are four main types of perceptual constancy: size constancy, shape constancy, color constancy, and brightness constancy.
Size constancy is the recognition that an object remains the same size, even when its image on the retina changes. For instance, a bus is perceived to be large enough to carry people, even if it looks tiny from...

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...

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,...

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...

Visual Agnosia

Visual Agnosia

Visual agnosia is a condition characterized by the inability to recognize visually presented objects despite having normal vision. For instance, a person with visual agnosia can describe the shape and color of an object but cannot identify or name it. This impairment does not affect their visual field, acuity, color vision, brightness discrimination, language, or memory. An example of this condition in a social setting is someone at a dinner party asking for "that silver thing with a round end"...

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.

You might also read

Related Articles

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

Sort by

Same author

Pragmatic, Multicenter, Double-Blind Evaluation of Circulating Cancer-Associated Macrophage-Like Cells for Detection of Cancer in Indeterminate Pulmonary Nodules.

JCO precision oncology·2026

Same author

Impact of Viewing Distance on the Occurrence Rate of Intermittent Exotropia Revealed by Ambulatory Eye Tracking.

American journal of ophthalmology·2026

Same author

Idiopathic intracranial hypertension exacerbated by aseptic meningitis from a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug.

American journal of ophthalmology case reports·2026

Same author

Spontaneous closure of a congenital lacrimal fistula.

Journal of AAPOS : the official publication of the American Association for Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus·2026

Same author

Idiopathic Intracranial Hypertension. Reply.

The New England journal of medicine·2026

Same author

Fixation Preference in Intermittent Exotropia Quantified Using a Wearable Eye Tracker.

American journal of ophthalmology·2025

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 25, 2026

Monocular Visual Deprivation and Ocular Dominance Plasticity Measurement in the Mouse Primary Visual Cortex

Monocular Visual Deprivation and Ocular Dominance Plasticity Measurement in the Mouse Primary Visual Cortex

Published on: February 8, 2020

Ocular dominance columns: enigmas and challenges.

Daniel L Adams¹, Jonathan C Horton

¹Department of Cognitive Science, Center for Mind/Brain Sciences, University of Trento, Italy.

The Neuroscientist : a Review Journal Bringing Neurobiology, Neurology and Psychiatry

|February 17, 2009

Summary

Researchers explored ocular dominance columns in the human brain, highlighting key questions about their function, species-specific presence, and development. Understanding these visual processing structures requires explaining their variability and formation mechanisms.

More Related Videos

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

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jun 25, 2026

Monocular Visual Deprivation and Ocular Dominance Plasticity Measurement in the Mouse Primary Visual Cortex

Monocular Visual Deprivation and Ocular Dominance Plasticity Measurement in the Mouse Primary Visual Cortex

Published on: February 8, 2020

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

Area of Science:

Neuroscience
Visual Cortex Anatomy
Mammalian Brain Development

Background:

Ocular dominance columns are segregated stripes in the striate cortex (layer 4C) representing inputs from each eye in some mammals.
The complete pattern of these columns in the human brain has been described.

Purpose of the Study:

To identify and discuss the primary challenges and future research directions concerning ocular dominance columns.
To address the functional significance and species-specific occurrence of these columns.
To elucidate the developmental mechanisms underlying their formation.

Main Methods:

Review and synthesis of existing knowledge on ocular dominance columns.
Identification of key unresolved questions and experimental challenges.
Analysis of data regarding spontaneous retinal activity's role in column development.

Main Results:

The function and species-specific presence of ocular dominance columns remain largely unexplained.
Significant natural variation exists in column expression, pattern, and alignment within and between species.
Ocular dominance columns develop independently of visual experience, but the guiding innate signals are unknown.
Contradictory data exists regarding the role of spontaneous retinal activity in column formation.

Conclusions:

Future research must reconcile existing data and develop new approaches to understand the function and development of ocular dominance columns.
Explaining the variability in column expression is crucial for a comprehensive understanding.
Resolving the role of spontaneous retinal activity is key to uncovering the developmental basis of cortical columnar structure.