Visual Coding and Color Perception

These flashcards cover key terms and concepts related to visual coding and color perception as discussed in the lecture notes.

Midget ganglion cells

Ganglion cells in the fovea of humans and other primates that each respond to a single cone.

Retina

The rear surface of the eye lined with visual receptors.

Blind spot

Created from ganglion cell axons forming the optic nerve, where there are no receptors.

Fovea

A tiny area of the retina specialized for acute, detailed vision.

Rods

Visual receptors that detect brightness, abundant in the periphery of the human retina.

Cones

Visual receptors that contribute to color perception, abundant in and near the fovea.

Photopigments

Chemicals in rods and cones that release energy when struck by light.

Trichromatic theory

Proposes that humans have three types of cones sensitive to different wavelengths: short (blue), medium (green), and long (red).

Opponent-process theory

Color is processed in opposing pairs: red-green, blue-yellow, and white-black.

Retinex theory

The brain compares light across different parts of a scene to determine true color.

Color constancy

The ability to recognize objects as the same color under different lighting conditions.

Brightness constancy

An object's perceived brightness can appear different based on surrounding light.

Color vision deficiency

Also known as colorblindness, occurs when someone lacks one cone type or has cones with identical pigments.

Tetrachromatic vision

Condition in some women allowing finer color discrimination due to carrying two different versions of the red-cone gene.

Afterimages

Visual sensations that persist after the stimulus has been removed, demonstrating the brain's relative perception.

Electromagnetic radiation

Includes visible light, measured in nanometers (nm) which describes wavelength.

Visible spectrum

The range of wavelengths visible to humans, with shorter wavelengths appearing blue and longer appearing red.