655-220 Physiological Optics

Coordinator

Prerequisites

Biology 600-141 and 600-142; Chemistry 610-121 + 610-122 or 610-141 + 610-142; Physics 640-121 + 640-122, 640-141 + 640-142 or 640-161 + 640-162.

Corequisites

Physiology 536-206; Principles of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Part A 521-211 and Part B 521-212

Semester

Contact

Subject Description

The purpose of this subject is to give students a thorough understanding of the eye and capabilities of the human visual system. The topics include: Human visual function: specification of the stimulus, the light sense, spectral luminous efficiency, absolute threshold and quantum effects, light and dark adaptation and increment thresholds; temporal resolution, flicker and transient stimulation; the form sense, visual acuity and the contrast sensitivity function; the colour sense, the trivariance of vision and specification of chromaticity, colour discriminations and theories of colour vision; perception of visual space; projection, retinal correspondence, the horopter, fusion and stereopsis. Physiology of the visual processes: the photoreceptor, optics, photochemistry and transduction; retinal structure and function; contrast and colour coding in the retina; cortical structure and function. Muscular mechanisms of the eye: the mechanics of translatory, saccadic and slow pursuit eye movements; Listing's Law; neural control of eye movements and binocular eye movements, Hering's Law; accommodation and the accommodative-convergence synkinesis; pupillary reactions. Vegetative physiology of the eye: the cornea; the anatomy and physical properties of the cornea; the chemistry and metabolism of the cornea, corneal permeability, and maintenance of transparency; the lacrimal apparatus and the tear film; the sclera; formation and circulation of aqueous humour, intra-ocular pressure; the biochemistry, growth and metabolism of the lens; vegetative physiology of the retina and vitreous. The practical classes provide students with the skills to measure visual functions and an understanding of classical visual psychophysical methodology.

Assessment

Two 3-hour written examinations at the end of the second semester; practical work (15%).

Prescribed Texts

• Hart, W M (ed) Adler's, Physiology of the Eye. Clinical applications 9th Ed St Louis Mosby 1992.
• Nicholls J G, Martin A R and Wallace B G, From Neuron to Brain. 3rd ed. 1992 Sinauer Assoc. Inc.