The senses 2: vision - eye anatomy and the visual sensory system
- Knight, John
- Bayram-Weston, Zubeyde
- Andrade-Sienz, Maria
Abstract
This article is the second in a series exploring the five major human senses. It examines vision, exploring the anatomy and physiology of the eye, the accessory structures and the visual pathways. It also considers some of the common pathologies that can affect the visual system. The first article in this series examined the nature of hearing and balance, and pathologies of the ear.
This article has been double-blind peer reviewed
In this article…
The role of the accessory structures of the eyes
The anatomy and physiology of the eye and visual pathways
Some of the common pathologies that affect the visual system
Key points
Figure
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Accessory structures of the eye are essential to maintain optimal ocular health and vision
Extrinsic muscles of the eye allow it to move so it can track and scan objects in the visual field
The lens of the eye focuses light on the retina through a process called accommodation
The retina contains photosensitive cells called rods, which detect light intensities (black and white vision) and cones that detect colour
The visual cortex in the occipital lobes of the brain decodes the raw information from the retina to construct a visual picture of the world