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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...

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...

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,...

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 cortex....

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Mar 14, 2026

Where You Cut Matters: A Dissection and Analysis Guide for the Spatial Orientation of the Mouse Retina from Ocular Landmarks

Where You Cut Matters: A Dissection and Analysis Guide for the Spatial Orientation of the Mouse Retina from Ocular Landmarks

Published on: August 4, 2018

Spatial Subdomains in the Optic Tectum for the Encoding of Visual Information.

Thomas Shallcross¹, Giovanni Diana², Juan Burrone³

¹The Centre for Developmental Neurobiology & MRC Centre for Neurodevelopmental Disorders, King's College London, London SE1 1UL, United Kingdom thomas.shallcross@outlook.com.

The Journal of Neuroscience : the Official Journal of the Society for Neuroscience

|March 12, 2026

Summary

Neurons in the zebrafish optic tectum show spatial organization for encoding visual motion. Local motion is processed in the posterior tectum, while whole-field motion is in the anterior tectum.

Keywords:

encoding information theory tectum, vision zebrafish

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Targeted Labeling of Neurons in a Specific Functional Micro-domain of the Neocortex by Combining Intrinsic Signal and Two-photon Imaging

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Published on: December 12, 2012

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Mar 14, 2026

Where You Cut Matters: A Dissection and Analysis Guide for the Spatial Orientation of the Mouse Retina from Ocular Landmarks

Where You Cut Matters: A Dissection and Analysis Guide for the Spatial Orientation of the Mouse Retina from Ocular Landmarks

Published on: August 4, 2018

Using Looming Visual Stimuli to Evaluate Mouse Vision

Using Looming Visual Stimuli to Evaluate Mouse Vision

Published on: June 13, 2019

Targeted Labeling of Neurons in a Specific Functional Micro-domain of the Neocortex by Combining Intrinsic Signal and Two-photon Imaging

Targeted Labeling of Neurons in a Specific Functional Micro-domain of the Neocortex by Combining Intrinsic Signal and Two-photon Imaging

Published on: December 12, 2012

Area of Science:

Neuroscience
Computational Neuroscience
Sensory Systems

Background:

Neuronal responses vary in reliability across populations when encoding visual features.
Understanding neuronal encoding requires assessing both feature selectivity and response reliability.

Purpose of the Study:

To create a spatial map of neuronal stimulus discrimination in the larval zebrafish optic tectum using information theory.
To investigate how neuronal subtypes and population activity contribute to visual feature encoding.

Main Methods:

Applied information theory to map neuronal stimulus discrimination across the optic tectum.
Analyzed neuronal subtypes and population activity for visual feature encoding.
Investigated spatial distribution of information about local and whole-field motion.

Main Results:

Neuronal stimulus discrimination is non-uniformly distributed across the optic tectum.
Information about local motion is concentrated in the posterior tectum; whole-field motion in the anterior tectum.
Spatial biases in encoding are enhanced by population activity and linked to specific neuronal subtypes.

Conclusions:

The zebrafish optic tectum exhibits regional specialization for processing different visual motion features.
Information-theoretic approaches reveal spatial organization and enhance understanding of neuronal encoding reliability.
Location-dependent visual object encoding is implied by the spatial segregation of visual processing.