Module 1 The Nervous System
Lesson 1.1.5
Lesson 5—Photoreception: The Eye
Get Focused
When you are in a room full of people, you are constantly gathering information about those around you. You respond to the sights, smells, sounds, and even the feel of the room. Your eyes are one of the best sensory tools you can utilize to gather information from your external environment. In fact, 80 to 90 percent of all sensory information is received by your eyes. Consider this fact the next time you find yourself in a new environment or situation as you work to make sense of the information you perceive.
Your ability to interpret the visual information you receive is a complex process dependent on the physiology of the eye and a complex series of reactions which are not completely understood. In Lesson 2 you studied the parts of the brain, should now be capable of making the connection between how a nerve impulse is transmitted to the occipital lobe of the cerebrum and the interpretation an image. The work you did in Lesson 4 will help you understand how perception results from the cerebral cortex interpreting the meaning of the sensory information received.
How much do you remember about what you saw after you left a room full of people? If you were to compare your perceptions with another person who was also in the room, do you think that your visual memories would be the same? As you work through this lesson you will learn more about eye function and communication, and how these processes influence your perceptions of what you see.
In this lesson you will explore the following questions:
- What are the major parts of the eye?
- How do these parts function?
- How do these parts work together to communicate with the nervous system in order to facilitate the integrated act of seeing?
Module 1: Lesson 5 Assignment
Here is a tutorial video for this lesson that you can watch if it suits your learning style.
** The Self-Check and Try This questions in this lesson are not marked by the teacher; however answering these questions will help you review important information and build key concepts that may be applied in future lessons. You can respond to these mentally, write out your response, or record your answer in any other way that works for you. **