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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.

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...

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...

Association Areas of the Cortex

Association Areas of the Cortex

Association areas are regions of the cerebral cortex that do not have a specific sensory or motor function. Instead, they integrate and interpret information from various sources to enable higher cognitive processes such as memory, learning, and decision-making. Some key association areas include the following:
Prefrontal Association Area: This area is located in the frontal lobe and is involved in planning, decision-making, and moderating social behavior. It connects with primary motor areas,...

Parallel Processing

Parallel Processing

The brain processes sensory information rapidly due to parallel processing, which involves sending data across multiple neural pathways at the same time. This method allows the brain to manage various sensory qualities, such as shapes, colors, movements, and locations, all concurrently. For instance, when observing a forest landscape, the brain simultaneously processes the movement of leaves, the shapes of trees, the depth between them, and the various shades of green. This enables a quick and...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 22, 2025

Development of a Gaze-Contingent Display Framework Designed for Perceptual and Oculomotor Research with Simulated Central Vision Loss

Development of a Gaze-Contingent Display Framework Designed for Perceptual and Oculomotor Research with Simulated Central Vision Loss

Published on: April 11, 2025

Assessing higher-order visual functions: seeing beyond a flat earth.

Henrique Soares Dutra Oliveira¹, Danielle Calil de Sousa¹, Sarah Teixeira Camargos²

¹Ciências Médicas Minas Gerais, Faculdade de Medicina, Departamento de Neurogeriatria, Belo Horizonte MG, Brazil.

Dementia & Neuropsychologia

|May 20, 2025

Summary

Higher-order visual areas are crucial for seeing beyond basic light processing, enabling complex perception and object recognition. Bedside assessments of these visual functions aid in diagnosing related disorders.

Keywords:

Agnosia Color Vision Defects Spatial Processing Vision Disorders Visual Perception

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Last Updated: May 22, 2025

Development of a Gaze-Contingent Display Framework Designed for Perceptual and Oculomotor Research with Simulated Central Vision Loss

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Published on: April 11, 2025

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Published on: February 11, 2014

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Published on: June 13, 2019

Area of Science:

Neuroscience
Ophthalmology
Cognitive Science

Background:

Vision involves more than retinal light processing; higher visual areas are key.
These areas provide advanced functions like object recognition and visual perception.
Disorders affecting these higher visual abilities have diverse causes.

Purpose of the Study:

To highlight the importance of higher-order visual areas in perception.
To emphasize the clinical utility of bedside assessment for higher visual functions.

Main Methods:

Review of the role of higher visual cortical functions.
Discussion of the clinical application of bedside assessments.

Main Results:

Higher-order visual areas are essential for complex visual processing.
Bedside assessment is a valuable tool for identifying higher visual dysfunction.

Conclusions:

Understanding higher visual cortical functions is critical for diagnosing visual disorders.
Clinical assessment of these functions aids in patient evaluation and management.