Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Color Vision01:24

Color Vision

1.8K
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.
1.8K
Photoreceptors and Visual Pathways01:22

Photoreceptors and Visual Pathways

10.1K
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,...
10.1K
Anatomy of the Eyeball01:20

Anatomy of the Eyeball

10.7K
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...
10.7K
Vision01:24

Vision

60.8K
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.
60.8K
The Retina01:32

The Retina

77.2K
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.
77.2K
Perceptual Constancy01:12

Perceptual Constancy

1.6K
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...
1.6K

You might also read

Related Articles

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

Sort by
Same author

Analysis of human visual experience data.

Journal of vision·2026
Same author

Associations between habitual light exposure-related behaviors and sleep timing and sleep complaints in an international community sample.

Scientific reports·2026
Same author

Paws for thought.

Science (New York, N.Y.)·2026
Same author

Lower breathing frequencies in personalized slow-paced breathing enhance relaxation and reduce arousal.

iScience·2026
Same author

Time to listen: harnessing podcasts for stakeholder engagement in circadian and sleep science.

Npj biological timing and sleep·2026
Same author

Sneezing in response to naturalistic bright light exposure.

F1000Research·2026
Same journal

Efficacy of Non-Invasive Brain Stimulation in Alzheimer's Disease: An Umbrella Review of Meta-Analyses.

Neuroscience and biobehavioral reviews·2026
Same journal

Rhythms of interaction - the timescales of social coordination and why they matter.

Neuroscience and biobehavioral reviews·2026
Same journal

Neural Bases of Memory Development: Insights from Magnetic Resonance Imaging.

Neuroscience and biobehavioral reviews·2026
Same journal

Regional Heterogeneity of Brain Insulin Resistance: From Molecular Pathways to Neural Circuits.

Neuroscience and biobehavioral reviews·2026
Same journal

Peripheral nervous system involvement in Parkinson's disease: Peripheral neuropathy, neuromuscular junction dysfunction, and clinical implications.

Neuroscience and biobehavioral reviews·2026
Same journal

Violence on the self: Exploring the intersection of trauma and identity among sexual and gender minorities from a neurobiological and developmental perspective to advance our understanding of PTSD, moral injury, and dissociation symptoms.

Neuroscience and biobehavioral reviews·2026
See all related articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Mar 3, 2026

How to Create and Use Binocular Rivalry
14:34

How to Create and Use Binocular Rivalry

Published on: November 10, 2010

76.9K

Chromatic clocks: Color opponency in non-image-forming visual function.

Manuel Spitschan1, Robert J Lucas2, Timothy M Brown2

  • 1Stanford University, Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Stanford, CA, USA; VA Palo Alto Health Care System, Mental Illness Research Education and Clinical Center, Palo Alto, CA, USA.

Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews
|April 27, 2017
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Twilight

Keywords:
Circadian rhythmsColor opponencyColor visionNon-image-forming visionRetinaSleep-wake cycles

More Related Videos

Visualizing Visual Adaptation
04:43

Visualizing Visual Adaptation

Published on: April 24, 2017

9.7K
Using Rapid Serial Visual Presentation to Measure Set-Specific Capture, a Consequence of Distraction While Multitasking
05:58

Using Rapid Serial Visual Presentation to Measure Set-Specific Capture, a Consequence of Distraction While Multitasking

Published on: August 29, 2018

9.4K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Mar 3, 2026

How to Create and Use Binocular Rivalry
14:34

How to Create and Use Binocular Rivalry

Published on: November 10, 2010

76.9K
Visualizing Visual Adaptation
04:43

Visualizing Visual Adaptation

Published on: April 24, 2017

9.7K
Using Rapid Serial Visual Presentation to Measure Set-Specific Capture, a Consequence of Distraction While Multitasking
05:58

Using Rapid Serial Visual Presentation to Measure Set-Specific Capture, a Consequence of Distraction While Multitasking

Published on: August 29, 2018

9.4K

Area of Science:

  • Chronobiology
  • Vision Science
  • Sensory Neuroscience

Background:

  • Ambient light intensity and spectrum change significantly during twilight.
  • Light's role in circadian rhythm regulation is well-studied, but color sensitivity's role remains unclear.
  • Color opponency, a feature of image-forming vision, may influence non-image-forming visual functions.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the role of color sensitivity in regulating circadian rhythms.
  • To explore how spectral shifts during twilight are processed by color-opponent systems.
  • To review evidence for color sensitivity in non-image-forming visual functions across species.

Main Methods:

  • Review of electrophysiological evidence for color sensitivity in pineal/parietal organs.
  • Examination of color coding in neurons of the circadian pacemaker.
  • Analysis of sporadic evidence for color sensitivity in non-image-forming vision in various animal groups.

Main Results:

  • Color sensitivity has been observed in the pineal/parietal organs of fish, amphibians, and reptiles.
  • Color coding by neurons in the circadian pacemaker has been identified in mice.
  • Evidence suggests color sensitivity plays a role in non-image-forming visual functions in birds and mammals.

Conclusions:

  • Color opponency may significantly modulate light-driven physiological and behavioral responses.
  • Spectral shifts during twilight are likely encoded by color-opponent systems for circadian regulation.
  • Further research is needed to fully understand the impact of color vision on circadian rhythms.