Study Guide for Chapter 9

1.         Your text introduces a number of terms dealing with optics. You should understand what is meant by waves, frequency, reflection, refraction, and absorption, and what these terms have to do with perception of the visual stimulus.

2.         You should know and understand the basic anatomy of the eye. Your text has a diagram on page 283. At the very least, you should know the location and function of the structures depicted.

3.         What is focal distance? What is the relationship between focal distance and curvature of the cornea?

4.         Box 9.2 on page 285 has some extremely important information in it. You should read, remember, and understand this information. You will be tested on it.

5.         What is the process of accommodation? How does it work and what does it do?

6.         What is the pupillary light reflex? What does it mean to say that it is consensual? What does it mean if it is not consensual?

7.         You should have an understanding of what is meant by the terms visual field and visual acuity.

8.         You should know the cells that make up the various laminae of the retina. In other words, where and in what order would you find each of the following: photoreceptors, horizontal cells, bipolar cells, and retinal ganglion cells. Be sure you know which layer is first encountered by light and which layer is farthest toward the back of the eye. You should also be able to identify the outer segment photoreceptor layer, the outer nuclear layer, and so forth.

9.         How does the process of phototransduction occur? This is a complex process, but your text lists it in a step-wise fashion on pages 293-296 (AND I will discuss it in detail in class).

10.       At what point in the transduction process does the action potential first occur (in photoreception)?

At this point, you should not go past page 296 in your text.