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

Photoreceptors and Visual Pathways01:22

Photoreceptors and Visual Pathways

9.5K
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,...
9.5K
Anatomy of the Eyeball01:20

Anatomy of the Eyeball

10.0K
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...
10.0K
Vision01:24

Vision

60.4K
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.
60.4K
Visual System01:26

Visual System

1.9K
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...
1.9K
The Retina01:32

The Retina

76.9K
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.
76.9K
Depth Perception and Spatial Vision01:15

Depth Perception and Spatial Vision

2.1K
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.
2.1K

You might also read

Related Articles

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

Sort by
Same author

Uncorrected myopia affects the visual acuity of OFF-pathway more than ON-pathway.

Optometry and vision science : official publication of the American Academy of Optometry·2026
Same author

Clinical Reasoning: A 41-Year-Old Man Presenting With Right Foot Tingling.

Neurology·2026
Same author

Human accommodative visuomotor function is driven by contrast through ON and OFF pathways and is enhanced in myopia.

Cell reports·2026
Same author

ON-Pathway visual acuity deficits in 8-12 years old children with unilateral amblyopia.

Vision research·2025
Same author

Visual Distortions in Human Amblyopia Are Correlated with Deficits in Contrast Sensitivity.

The Journal of neuroscience : the official journal of the Society for Neuroscience·2025
Same author

Phantom Forms in Amblyopic Vision and what they reveal about the Generative Brain.

bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology·2025

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Feb 17, 2026

Electrophysiological Method for Recording Intracellular Voltage Responses of Drosophila Photoreceptors and Interneurons to Light Stimuli In Vivo
11:42

Electrophysiological Method for Recording Intracellular Voltage Responses of Drosophila Photoreceptors and Interneurons to Light Stimuli In Vivo

Published on: June 19, 2016

20.2K

Neuronal mechanisms underlying differences in spatial resolution between darks and lights in human vision.

Carmen Pons1, Reece Mazade1, Jianzhong Jin1

  • 1Department of Biological and Visual Sciences, State University of New York College of Optometry, New York, NY, USA.

Journal of Vision
|December 3, 2017
PubMed
Summary

Human vision shows dark/light differences due to ON pathway saturation. This explains why impaired vision from poor lighting or blur affects light targets more, potentially linking myopia to visual pathway function.

More Related Videos

Using Looming Visual Stimuli to Evaluate Mouse Vision
05:07

Using Looming Visual Stimuli to Evaluate Mouse Vision

Published on: June 13, 2019

12.3K
Recording Light-evoked Postsynaptic Responses in Neurons in Dark-adapted, Mouse Retinal Slice Preparations Using Patch Clamp Techniques
10:30

Recording Light-evoked Postsynaptic Responses in Neurons in Dark-adapted, Mouse Retinal Slice Preparations Using Patch Clamp Techniques

Published on: February 11, 2015

8.9K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Feb 17, 2026

Electrophysiological Method for Recording Intracellular Voltage Responses of Drosophila Photoreceptors and Interneurons to Light Stimuli In Vivo
11:42

Electrophysiological Method for Recording Intracellular Voltage Responses of Drosophila Photoreceptors and Interneurons to Light Stimuli In Vivo

Published on: June 19, 2016

20.2K
Using Looming Visual Stimuli to Evaluate Mouse Vision
05:07

Using Looming Visual Stimuli to Evaluate Mouse Vision

Published on: June 13, 2019

12.3K
Recording Light-evoked Postsynaptic Responses in Neurons in Dark-adapted, Mouse Retinal Slice Preparations Using Patch Clamp Techniques
10:30

Recording Light-evoked Postsynaptic Responses in Neurons in Dark-adapted, Mouse Retinal Slice Preparations Using Patch Clamp Techniques

Published on: February 11, 2015

8.9K

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Vision Science
  • Computational Neuroscience

Background:

  • Human perception reveals asymmetries in how dark and light features are seen.
  • Neuronal mechanisms for these visual asymmetries were previously unknown.
  • Previous computational models proposed ON retinal pathway saturation as the cause.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the neuronal mechanisms behind dark/light perceptual asymmetries.
  • To test the hypothesis that ON pathway luminance/response saturation underlies these asymmetries.
  • To explore the link between ON pathway function, visual impairments, and myopia.

Main Methods:

  • Computational modeling of neuronal responses.
  • Human psychophysics experiments measuring perceptual discrimination and salience.
  • In vivo recordings from cat visual cortex under varying luminance conditions.
  • Analysis of how optical blur and illumination affect visual processing.

Main Results:

  • Stimuli that increase ON pathway saturation (dark backgrounds, optical blur) disproportionately impair light target perception.
  • ON pathway saturation magnitude is stable across common indoor lighting but shifts at low mesopic levels.
  • Reduced high spatial frequencies (due to poor light or blur) amplify the effect of ON pathway saturation on visual salience.

Conclusions:

  • ON pathway luminance/response saturation explains perceptual dark/light asymmetries in human vision.
  • The ON pathway's function is sensitive to factors like illumination and optical quality.
  • Findings suggest a potential neuronal link between myopia progression and ON visual pathway function.