biolpsy_10

Vision

The sensation of electromagnetic radiation with a wavelength of 400-700 nm, which encompasses the spectrum of visible light.

Phototransduction

The process by which light is converted into neural signals in the photoreceptor cells of the retina.

Fovea

The small central pit in the retina where visual acuity is highest due to a high concentration of cones.

Lateral inhibition

A neural process where interconnected neurons inhibit each other, enhancing the perception of edges and contrasts.

Trichromatic hypothesis of color vision

A theory that suggests color perception is based on three types of receptors sensitive to blue, green, and red light.

Opponent-process theory

A theory positing that color vision is based on three opposing pairs of colors: blue-yellow, green-red, and black-white.

Ganglion cells

Neurons in the retina that receive visual information from photoreceptors and transmit it to the brain.

Concentric receptive fields

The arrangement of receptive fields in ganglion cells that makes them more responsive to patterned visual stimuli.

Dorsal pathway

The visual processing stream involved in spatial awareness and movement integration.

Ventral pathway

The visual processing stream responsible for the identification and recognition of objects.

Optic ataxia

Impairment in visually guided movements while maintaining the ability to perceive visual stimuli.

Blindsight

A phenomenon where individuals can respond to visual stimuli without conscious visual experience due to damage in the ventral stream.

Photoreceptors

Cells in the retina that respond to light; includes rods and cones, which serve different functions in vision.

Lateral geniculate nucleus (LGN)

A structure in the thalamus that relays visual information and has layers that receive input from different eyes.

Brightness perception

A dimension of visual perception influenced by both the actual amount of light and the neural processing of visual stimuli.

Optogenetics

A neuroscience technique that uses light to control neurons which can be applied for restoring vision in experimental models.