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The Eye

The document discusses the structure and function of the human eye, detailing how it detects light, forms images, and accommodates for different distances. It explains the roles of rods and cones in vision, the control of light entering the eye by the iris, and the process of accommodation. Additionally, it addresses color blindness and the factors that can influence it.

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9 views6 pages

The Eye

The document discusses the structure and function of the human eye, detailing how it detects light, forms images, and accommodates for different distances. It explains the roles of rods and cones in vision, the control of light entering the eye by the iris, and the process of accommodation. Additionally, it addresses color blindness and the factors that can influence it.

Uploaded by

bczwdztn7c
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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Subject: HSB Class: Form 5 Topic: Coordination and Control

Subtopic: The Eye Textbook pages: 181-187

The Eye

The function of the Eye


The eye detects light which has been reflected from objects. The light triggers changes
in the specialized receptor cells found in the retina located at the back of the eye.
These changes are converted to electrical impulses that are transmitted from the eye
via the optic nerve to the brain. The brain then translates the impulses into a precise
picture of the object.

The eyes are situated to the front of the head in bony sockets in the skull called orbits
and have muscles attached to help them move within the socket. The orbit protects the
back of the eye from damage and the eyelids and eyelashes protect the front of the
eyeball from dust and other foreign particles. The tears are produced in the tear glands
they are mildly antiseptic, and it helps to keep the eyes moist and wash away particles
from eyes.

Figure 1 showing the structure and function of the parts of the human eye
(longitudinal section)
How the eye forms images.
For us to see, light rays from an object must be refracted as they enter the eye so that a
clear image of the object can be formed on the receptor cells of the retina. The cornea
and the lens are convex/biconvex in shape, this refracts the light rays. The cornea
refracts the light to the greatest extent and the lens refracts the light rays making fine
adjustments to focus the image on the retina.
Terms:- Concave – hollow, rounded or curved inward
-Convex- rounded or curved outward

Figure 2:Showing how light is refracted onto the retina of the eye.

Accommodation in the Eye

The retina has 2 types of photoreceptors: rods and cones


Rods- function in low light intensities.
• They are responsible for detecting the brightness of light.
• They are located at the sides of the retina.
• Images from the rods are seen in shades of black and white only.
Cones- function in high light intensities.
• Responsible for detecting colour and fine detail.
• Mainly located around the back of the retina.
• The fovea is composed entirely of cones that are packed closely together. It is
here at the fovea where the sharpest images are produced.
• There are three types of cones which detect either red, green or blue
wavelengths of light. These cones work together to produce the whole
spectrum of colour that we see.
• If these cones do not function properly it can result in colour blindness.

Colour Blindness
The most common type of colour blindness makes it hard to tell the difference between
red and green (red/green colour blind). Another type makes it hard to tell the difference
between blue and yellow. People who are completely colour blind don’t see colour at all,
but that’s not very common. Failure of all types of cones in the eye or their nerve supply
would cause this type of condition.
The main symptom of colour blindness is not seeing colours the way most people do. If
you’re colour blind, you may have trouble seeing:
• The difference between colours
• How bright colours are
• Different shades of colours
Symptoms of colour blindness are often so mild that you may not notice them. And
since we get used to the way we see colours, many people with colour blindness don’t
know they have it.
Men have a much higher risk than women for colour blindness. You’re also more likely
to have colour blindness if you:
• Have a family history of colour blindness.
• Have certain eye diseases, like glaucoma or age-related macular
degeneration (AMD)
• Have certain health problems, like diabetes, Alzheimer’s disease, or multiple
sclerosis (MS)
• Take certain medicines.

Control of light entering the eye.


The iris controls the amount of light that enters the eye by controlling the size of the
pupil. It is composed of the circular and radial muscles.
The pupil of the eye decreases in size in bright light due to the contracting of the
circular muscles in the iris. This is a reflex action that controls the amount of light
entering the eye.
The pupil size increases in dim light to allow as much light to enter the eye. This is
controlled by the contracting of the radial muscles in the iris.
Diagram showing the control of light entering the eye.

Have you ever wondered why it takes your eyes some time to adjust to the
light indoors after being outside in a brightly lit area?

The reason is that while you are outside a pigment in the rods of the retina called
visual purple (rhodopsin) has been bleached in the bright light. This pigment needs
time to regenerate to be able to trigger impulses in the dark. As very few rods are
available any light falling on the bleached rods are not detected hence it is
difficult to see upon entering the room. The rods are slow to regenerate. As the
pigments regenerate you become more sensitive to the light conditions and the
rods will be stimulated allowing you to see in the dim light. Sometimes it can take
up to a half an hour after a person has moved from a brightly lit area to a dim area
for all the pigment in the rods to be regenerated.

Accommodation
Accommodation is the process by which the shape of the lens is altered/changed to
focus the light entering/coming from different/various distances onto the retina.
The lens is the transparent, elastic, biconvex structure that refracts light, making fine
adjustments that focuses the light/image onto the retina. It does this by changing its
shape which allows it to focus the light coming from objects of varying distances onto
the retina. The ciliary muscles in the ciliary body and the elasticity of the lens itself are
responsible for changing the shape of lens.
Terms:
- Muscles- a tissue (bundle of cells, muscles fibres) that are capable of
contraction thereby producing movement or tension in the body.
- Ligaments- a fibrous tissue that connects bones to bones. In the case of the
suspensory ligament, it is a ligament used to suspend and hold the lens of the
eye in place.

Focusing on a distant object


1. Light rays coming from objects from a far-off object need to be bent slightly.
2. To do this the lens must be in a flattened shape.
3. To do this the ciliary muscles relax, increasing their circumference which causes the
suspensory ligaments to be pulled tight. It is the tightened ligaments that then pull
the lens into a flattened shape.
Focusing on a near object
1. Light coming from a near object must be bent a lot/by a large amount.
2. To do this the lens must be in a bulged shape.
3. To do this the ciliary muscles contract, decreasing their circumference which causes
the suspensory ligaments to become slack. As the suspensory ligaments slacken the
elasticity of the lens allows it to spring back into a bulged shape.

Diagram showing the process of accommodation in the eye.


Terms:
Focal Length- the distance between the retina and the lens of the eye.
Near Point-is the closest point at which an object can be placed and still form
a focused image on the retina, within the eye's accommodation range. The other limit to
the eye's accommodation range is the far point. It is the distance at which the lens
cannot become anymore convex to refract the light rays of an object any further.
Binocular vison- vision using two eyes with overlapping fields of view, allowing good
perception of depth.
Depth perception- ability to judge the distance between two objects. Both of your eyes
perceive the same object slightly differently and at slightly different angles, but your
brain can merge the two images into one 3-D image. This process is also known as
stereopsis.

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