the science of seeing

Question 1

“Vision is the Dominant Sense”

Answer 1

A large part of our brain is devoted to processing visual input

Question 2

Cornea

Answer 2

Transparent, dome-like structure on the front part of the eye, gives the eye focusing or refracting power

Question 3

Pupil

Answer 3

The adjustable opening in the center of the eye through which light enters, controls the amount of light that enters into the eye

Question 4

Iris

Answer 4

A ring of muscle tissue that forms the colored portion of the eye around the pupil and controls the size of the pupil opening (colored part of eye)

Question 5

Crystalline Lens

Answer 5

The transparent structure behind the pupil that changes shape to help focus images on the retina, focus eye on near or far objects.

Question 6

Retina

Answer 6

Light-sensitive layer that lines the back of the eye

Question 7

Photoreceptors

Answer 7

Converts light energy to electrochemical neural impulses that are conducted to our brain.

Question 8

Cones

Answer 8

Light-detecting cells that are concentrated near the center of the retina and that function in daylight or in well-lit conditions, directly involved in our ability to perceive color

Question 9

Rods

Answer 9

Specialized photoreceptors that work well in low light conditions, involved in our vision in dimly lit environments as well as in our perception of movement on the periphery of our visual field

Question 10

Optic Nerve

Answer 10

The nerve that carries neural impulses from the eye to the brain (cross to opposite side of brain, once inside the brain, visual information is sent via a number of structures to the occipital lobe at the back of the brain for processing)

Question 11

Blind spot

Answer 11

The point at which the optic nerve leaves the eye, creating a “blind” spot because no receptor cells are located there

Question 12

Young-Helmhotz Trichromatic

Answer 12

There are three receptors in the retina responsible for the perception of color (green, blue, red)

Question 13

Color-Deficient Vision

Answer 13

They simply lack functioning red-or-green-sensative cones or sometimes both, missing cones that response to a specific color.

Question 14

Opponent-Process Theory

Answer 14

Retinal processes only occur in 3 sets of opponents

Question 15

Afterimage

Answer 15

Describes the continuation of a visual sensation after removal of the stimulus.

Question 16

Feature Detectors

Answer 16

In the visual cortex, specialized neurons that react to shapes, angles, edges, lines and movement in field of vision.

Question 17

Parallel Processing

Answer 17

The ability of the brain to do many things at once. For visual processing, color, motion, shape, and depth are processes simultaneously