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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...

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.

Depth Perception and Spatial Vision

Depth Perception and Spatial Vision

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.

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...

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.

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,...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Aug 8, 2025

Rapid In Situ Hybridization using Oligonucleotide Probes on Paraformaldehyde-prefixed Brain of Rats with Serotonin Syndrome

Rapid In Situ Hybridization using Oligonucleotide Probes on Paraformaldehyde-prefixed Brain of Rats with Serotonin Syndrome

Published on: September 23, 2015

Serotonin has an eye for detail.

Anton Sumser¹, Laura Busse²

¹Division of Neuroscience, Faculty of Biology, LMU Munich, Martinsried 82152, Germany.

|March 2, 2023

Summary

Serotonin and arousal selectively filter visual information by suppressing retinal inputs to the thalamus. This neuromodulation demonstrates opposing feature sensitivities, offering a novel mechanism for regulating early visual processing.

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Last Updated: Aug 8, 2025

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Published on: September 23, 2015

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Published on: November 27, 2016

Area of Science:

Neuroscience
Visual Processing
Sensory Systems

Background:

The thalamus acts as a crucial relay for sensory information to the cortex.
Neuromodulation plays a significant role in gating sensory inputs.
Understanding how specific neurotransmitters influence sensory pathways is essential.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the effects of serotonin and arousal on retinal inputs to the thalamus.
To determine the feature selectivity of this neuromodulatory suppression.
To elucidate the mechanisms by which early visual processing is filtered.

Main Methods:

Electrophysiological recordings in the visual thalamus.
Application of serotonin and manipulation of arousal states.
Analysis of neuronal responses to visual stimuli with varying features.

Main Results:

Serotonin and arousal differentially suppress retinal inputs to the thalamus.
These neuromodulators exhibit opposing feature specificities in their suppressive effects.
Selective filtering of visual information occurs at the thalamic level.

Conclusions:

Serotonin and arousal provide a sophisticated mechanism for modulating visual information flow.
The opposing feature sensitivities allow for dynamic filtering of retinal inputs.
This study reveals a key role for neuromodulation in shaping early visual perception.