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

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...

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...

You might also read

Related Articles

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

Sort by

Same author

Carbon dioxide stunning of pigs induces the expression of fear-associated genes in the amygdala.

Scientific reports·2026

Same author

Utilizing a steering committee to implement Health in All Policies in a rural, micro-urban community.

Health promotion international·2026

Same author

Visual factors that determine sensory uncertainty in rapid interceptive hand movements.

Journal of vision·2025

Same author

Poor fixation stability does not account for motion perception deficits in amblyopia.

Scientific reports·2025

Same author

Hummingbirds use compensatory eye movements to stabilize both rotational and translational visual motion.

Proceedings. Biological sciences·2025

Same author

Target interception in virtual reality is better for natural versus unnatural trajectory shapes and orientations.

Journal of vision·2025

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Nov 12, 2025

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

Look where you go: Characterizing eye movements toward optic flow.

Hiu Mei Chow^1,2, Jonas Knöll^3,4, Matthew Madsen^1,5

¹Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.

Journal of Vision

|March 18, 2021

Summary

Most people intuitively track the focus of optic flow, with eye movements becoming more accurate with stronger motion signals. This natural eye tracking indicates sensitivity to visual motion processing.

More Related Videos

Loneliness Assuaged: Eye-Tracking an Audience Watching Barrage Videos

Loneliness Assuaged: Eye-Tracking an Audience Watching Barrage Videos

Published on: May 29, 2020

Eye Tracking Young Children with Autism

Eye Tracking Young Children with Autism

Published on: March 27, 2012

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Nov 12, 2025

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

Loneliness Assuaged: Eye-Tracking an Audience Watching Barrage Videos

Loneliness Assuaged: Eye-Tracking an Audience Watching Barrage Videos

Published on: May 29, 2020

Eye Tracking Young Children with Autism

Eye Tracking Young Children with Autism

Published on: March 27, 2012

Area of Science:

Neuroscience
Vision Science
Oculomotor Research

Background:

Optic flow, patterns created on the retina during self-motion, is common but its effect on natural eye movements is not fully understood.
Previous studies showed optic flow elicits intuitive eye movements to the focus of expansion in small primate groups.

Purpose of the Study:

To determine if intuitive oculomotor responses to optic flow generalize to a larger human group.
To investigate how motion signal strength and task instructions influence these eye movements.

Main Methods:

43 human observers viewed expanding or contracting optic flow patterns composed of moving dots.
The focus of expansion could shift randomly, and motion signal strength (dot contrast, coherence, speed) was varied.
Eye movements were recorded with and without explicit tracking instructions.

Main Results:

84% of observers intuitively tracked the focus of expansion without instruction.
Intuitive tracking accuracy (saccade landing, smooth pursuit) improved with higher motion signal strength.
Explicit instructions led to eye alignment closer to the focus of expansion compared to uninstructed viewing.

Conclusions:

Intuitive eye movements to optic flow are generalizable in humans and sensitive to motion signal strength.
These findings demonstrate the role of intuitive eye movements in visual motion processing within dynamic environments.
The results underscore the utility of natural eye movements as indicators of perceptual processing in vision science.