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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.

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...

The Retina

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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,...

Motor and Sensory Areas of the Cortex

Motor and Sensory Areas of the Cortex

The cerebral cortex, the brain's outermost layer, is pivotal in processing complex cognitive tasks, emotions, and various sensory inputs and executing voluntary motor activities. This intricate structure is divided into three primary functional areas: the motor areas, sensory areas, and association areas.
Motor Areas
The motor areas located in the frontal lobe are central to controlling voluntary movements. This region is further subdivided into the primary motor cortex and the premotor cortex.

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 10, 2026

Using Looming Visual Stimuli to Evaluate Mouse Vision

Using Looming Visual Stimuli to Evaluate Mouse Vision

Published on: June 13, 2019

A conserved switch in sensory processing prepares developing neocortex for vision.

Matthew T Colonnese¹, Anna Kaminska, Marat Minlebaev

¹INSERM, U901, INMED, Aix-Marseille Université, Faculté des Sciences, 13273 Marseille, France. colonnese@inmed.univ-mrs.fr

|August 11, 2010

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Early visual cortex development features a "bursting" period of amplified retinal signals, enabling primitive vision. This transitions to mature responses before birth, driven by arousal systems and retinal maturation.

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Area of Science:

Neuroscience
Developmental Biology
Visual System Research

Background:

The developing brain generates endogenous activity crucial for neural circuit formation.
Understanding how early cortical activity transitions to mature function is vital for neuroscience.
The precise mechanisms governing the shift from early visual processing to mature function remain unclear.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the developmental switch in visual cortex response properties.
To identify the factors triggering the transition from primitive to mature visual processing.
To explore the role of endogenous activity and neuromodulation in early vision development.

Main Methods:

Electrophysiological recordings from the visual cortex of preterm human infants and neonatal rats.
Analysis of network oscillations and cortical activity states.
Investigation of the impact of neuromodulatory systems and retinal processing maturation.

Main Results:

A distinct "bursting" period of amplified visual responsiveness was identified, facilitated by network oscillations.
This primitive visual processing period abruptly switches to a mature response pattern before birth/eye opening.
The transition is causally linked to increased cortical activity dependent on arousal systems and involves retinal processing maturation.

Conclusions:

Early visual development follows a conserved, intrinsic program switching thalamocortical properties.
This developmental switch anticipates the onset of patterned vision.
Neuromodulatory systems and retinal maturation play critical roles in establishing mature visual processing.