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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.

The Retina

The Retina

The retina is a layer of nervous tissue at the back of the eye that transduces light into neural signals. This process, called phototransduction, is carried out by rod and cone photoreceptor cells in the back of the retina.

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,...

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...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 20, 2026

Computational Modeling of Retinal Neurons for Visual Prosthesis Research - Fundamental Approaches

Computational Modeling of Retinal Neurons for Visual Prosthesis Research - Fundamental Approaches

Published on: June 21, 2022

Precise subcellular input retinotopy and its computational consequences in an identified visual interneuron.

Simon P Peron¹, Peter W Jones, Fabrizio Gabbiani

¹Janelia Farm Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, 19700 Helix Drive, Ashburn, VA 20147, USA. perons@janelia.hhmi.org

|September 26, 2009

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

The Lobula Giant Movement Detector (LGMD), a key visual neuron in insects, precisely maps visual input onto its structure. This retinotopy is crucial for detecting approaching objects and processing directional visual information.

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Electrophysiological Investigations of Retinogeniculate and Corticogeniculate Synapse Function

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Published on: August 7, 2019

Area of Science:

Neuroscience
Insect Vision
Computational Neuroscience

Background:

The Lobula Giant Movement Detector (LGMD) is a vital interneuron in Orthopteran insects.
It is known for detecting objects on collision courses.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the retinotopic organization of excitatory input to the LGMD.
To understand how retinotopy influences the computational properties of the LGMD.

Main Methods:

In vivo calcium imaging to visualize neural activity.
Electrophysiological recordings to study synaptic properties.
Analysis of synaptic summation and directional selectivity.

Main Results:

Excitatory input to the LGMD activates calcium-permeable nicotinic acetylcholine receptors.
Retinotopy is preserved down to the single ommatidium level.
Sublinear synaptic summation explains orientation preference, and intrinsic directional selectivity of input was inferred.

Conclusions:

Precise retinotopy in the LGMD is essential for its visual processing capabilities.
Retinotopy impacts dendritic integration and computational functions like orientation and directional selectivity.
This study highlights the importance of precise neural mapping in sensory information processing.