Psychology 1000 Lecture Notes - Lecture 7: Visual Acuity, Ewald Hering, Rod Cell

• School: Western University
• Department: Psychology
• Course: Psychology 1000
• Professor: Laura Fazakas- De Hoog

Document Summary

The retina is the surface that lines the back of the eyeball. Densely packed with photo receptors: rods and cones. Macula: highly sensitive and most used (when we stair at something) Light enters the eye and lands on the retina. Triggers activity in the rods and cons. Sends messages to cells and out to the optic nerve. Rods: black & white brightness receptors, 500x more sensitive to light than cones, more prevalent on the peripheral visual field. Further from fovea the more likely to encounter rods than cones. Portion in peripheral crosses over to the other hemisphere (contra-laterally) Central region falls on outside of retina and is conducted ipsilaterally. Each eye is partially contralateral and ipsilateral. Image is projected upside down and flipped left to right on the retina. Like a camera, the eye needs a lens, cornea and a crystalized lens. Wavelengths that are not absorbed (i. e. subtracted) are reflected to the eye.