Physiological Optics Lecture Flashcards

This set of vocabulary flashcards covers fundamental terms, physical properties of light, and the anatomical structures/processes of the human eye based on the Physiological Optics lecture.

Optics

A branch of physics that deals with the propagation and behaviours or properties of light including its interactions with matter.

Physiology

A branch of science that deals with the normal functions of each organisms and their parts or structures.

Physiological Optics

A field that deals with the structure of the human EYE as well as their functions as affected by the behaviours or properties of light.

Physical Optics

A branch of optics that studies the physical properties and behaviours of light when it passes or traverse to every refractive media’s of the eye.

Geometrical Optics

A branch of optics that treats the passage of light through lenses, prisms, and mirrors by representing light as rays traveling in straight lines.

Reflection

Occurs when light changes directions by bouncing off a surface, governed by the formula $qI=qR$ where $qI$ is the angle of incidence and $qR$ is the angle of reflection.

Refraction

The bending of light as it passes between materials of different density or into a substance with a different refractive index (Optical Density).

Dispersion

The splitting or spreading of White Light into its full Spectrum when passing through uneven surfaces of a media like PRISMS.

Interference

Occurs when randomly generated light waves lack the same amplitude and frequency, causing broad colors to appear when illuminated, such as in BUBBLES.

Diffraction

A property of light involving the bending of light around corners as it spreads out to illuminate areas where a shadow is expected.

Polarization

A process where the vibration of light is restricted perpendicularly to the wave propagation because light waves move in a transverse direction.

Receptors

End organs of sensory afferent neurons specialized to be sensitive to stimulating agents and environmental changes.

Effectors

Organs such as muscles and glands that enable an organism to adjust or react to environmental changes.

Physical Process

The process of seeing involving the impinging of an incident ray of light upon the eye and its transmission through refractive media.

Photo-chemical Process

The transformation of radiant energy at the Neuro-epithelium of the Retina into electrical impulses, also known as Phototransduction.

Sensory Transduction

Refers to stimulus-alerting events where a physical stimulus is converted into action-potential for integration in the CNS.

Sclera

The dense, fibrous white part of the eyeball occupying $5/6$ of the eyeball, with a normal fluid content of $65\% - 70\%$.

Cornea

The main refractive media of the eye with a refractive power of $43D - 46D$ and an index of refraction of $1.376$.

Bowman's Membrane

A basement membrane that helps bind the corneal epithelium to the corneal stroma layer and cannot be regenerated.

Tunica Intima

Also called the retinal or nervous coat, it is a thin transparent membrane measuring $0.1-0.5\,mm$ thick that developed from the optic cup.