The Visual System 1

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  • Created by: meg_lou
  • Created on: 29-04-17 12:17
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  • The Visual System 1
    • Structure of the eye
      • Light
        • Our eye detects different wavelengths and intensities of light
        • Human visual spectrum between 380-760 nanometers
        • Travels at 186,000 mps
        • Wavelength = colour
        • Wave amplitude = brightness
      • The eye
        • 1. Eye detects change in wavelength and intensity of light
        • 2. Cornea gathers light and it passes through
        • 3. Light reaches the pupil
        • 4. Iris regulates amount of light
        • Light entering eye is dark or aroused (dilate)
        • Light entering eye is bright (constricted)
        • Lens focuses light onto the retina to bring image into focus
      • The retina
        • 2 types of light-sensitive receptors on the retina
          • Cones for colour = 6 million
            • Cones that absorb long wavelength light (red), middle wavelength light (green) and short wavelength light (blue
          • Rods for dim light = 120 million
    • From the retina to the PVC
      • Colour
        • Trichromatic theory of colour
          • People with normal colour vision needed 3 different wavelengths to match any wavelength in the visible spectrum
          • Doesn't explain how extensive attention to one colour produces its complimentary colour
          • Colour blindness is red/greeen, yellow/blue
            • Colours are linked
        • Opponent process theory
          • Colours are linked together no two members of a pair can be seen at the same location
            • E.g. never see something that is a bluish yellow colour
          • E.g. Red-green cell signals red when it is excited and signals green when inhibited
            • Explains colour blindness - will confuse either red/green or blue/yellow
          • 2 different classes of cells for encoding colour and brightness
      • Structure of the retina
        • Ganglion cell axons come together to form optic nerve
        • Has blindspots
        • Pathway receptor cells reach brain via action potentials
        • Path from retina is optic chiasm, 80% lateral geniculate nucleus of the thalamus, PVC
    • Cortical visual areas
      • Ventral
        • 'What' stream for face recognition and objects
      • Dorsal
        • 'Where/how' stream for location and visuomotor skills
        • Includes mirror neurons that respond to sight of another's actions
      • Layers of lateral geniculate nucleus
        • Parvocellular
          • Composed on neutrons with small cell bodies
          • Sensitive to colour
        • Magnocellular
          • Insensitive to colour but responsive to movement

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