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Electromagnetic spectrum
Energy is described by wavelength.
Spectrum ranges from short wavelength gamma rays
to long wavelength radio waves.
Visible spectrum for humans ranges from 400 to 700
nanometers.
Most perceived light is reflected light of surfaces.
(a) Objectfarlensrelaxed
(b) Objectnearnoaccommodation,
objectoutoffocus
(c) Objectnearlens
accommodates,objectinfocus
(a) Distantobjectoutof
focus
(b)Noproblemwithnear
object(Nearsighted)
(c)Distantobjectbrought
intofocuswithlens
Transduction
First take a look at receptors we find in the
retina.
KW85
KW86
Figure 3.6 (a) Rod receptor showing discs in the outer segment. (b) Close-up of one disc showing one visual
pigment molecule in the membrane. (c) Close-up showing how the protein opsin in one visual pigment
molecule crosses the disc membrane seven times. The light-sensitive retinal molecule is attached to the
opsin at the place indicated.
Figure 3.7 Model of a visual pigment molecule. The horizontal part of the model shows a tiny
portion of the huge opsin molecule near where the retinal is attached. The smaller molecule on
top of the opsin is the light-sensitive retinal. The model on the left shows the retinal molecules
shape before it absorbs light. The model on the right shows the retinal molecules shape after it
absorbs light. This change in shape is one of the steps that results in the generation of an
electrical response in the receptor
Figure 3.9 The observer in Hecht et al.s (1942) experiment could see
a spot of light containing 100 photons. Of these, 50 photons reached
the retina, and 7 photons were absorbed by visual pigment molecules.
Results showed:
a person can see a light if seven rod receptors are
activated simultaneously.
a rod receptor can be activated by the
isomerization of just one visual pigment molecule.
Figure 3.14 There are no receptors at the place where the optic
nerve leaves the eye. This enables the receptors ganglion cell fibers
to flow into the optic nerve. The absence of receptors in this area
creates the blind spot.
Macular degeneration
Cones:short,medium,long
rods
Figure 3.19 Three dark adaptation curves. The red line is the twostage dark adaptation curve, with an initial cone branch and a later
rod branch. The green line is the cone adaptation curve. The black
curve is the rod adaptation curve.
Figure 3.26 The wiring of the rods (left) and the cones (right). The dot
and arrow above each receptor represents a spot of light that
stimulates the receptor. The numbers represent the number of
response units generated by the rods and the cones in response to a
spot of intensity of 2.0.
Rodsdo
notpick
upon
location.
Conespick
upon
location.
Figure 3.28 Neural circuits for the rods (left) and the cones (right).
The receptors are being stimulated by two spots of light.
Rods
Cones