Psyc/Biol 240 - Psychology and Biology of Perception
Outline of Section 1 Lecture Topics

1. What is perception?
   1. Requirements for perception to occur
   2. Seven stages of perception
2. Vision
   1. Light and objects
      1. The nature of light
         1. Electromagnetic radiation
         2. The visible spectrum of electromagnetic radiation
         3. Two descriptions of light
            1. Particle (quantum) description
            2. Wave description
      2. Interaction of light with objects
         1. absorption
         2. reflection
         3. transmission
      3. Visible characteristics of objects determined by the interaction of light with objects
         1. Color
         2. Surface texture
   2. The Eyes
      1. Where should the eyes be placed?
         1. lateral placement
         2. frontal placement
      2. How do the eyes move?
         1. Eye muscles
         2. Types of eye movements
            1. vergent
            2. conjunctive
               1. pursuit
               2. saccadic
      3. The anatomy of the eye (structure and function)
         Three layers
         1. First layer
            1. Sclera
            2. Cornea
         2. Second Layer and associated structures
            1. Choroid
            2. Ciliary body
            3. Anterior chamber/Aqueous humor)
            4. Ciliary muscles
            5. Iris
            6. Pupil
            7. Lens(capsule, epithelial layer, lens)
            8. Vitreous chamber/Viteous humor
         3. Third Layer and associated structures
            1. Retina
            2. Macula/Fovea
            3. Pigment Epithelium
            4. Optic disk
      4. The eye as an optical instrument / Lens systems
         1. Pinhole aperture
         2. Lenses
            1. Refraction
            2. Concave vs convex lenses
            3. Fixed lens
            4. Human (variable) lens
            5. Accommodation - compensating for the distance of objects
            6. Visual angle - measuring the size of a retinal image
      5. Vision problems
         1. Imperfections that we don't worry about
            1. Chromatic Aberration
            2. Spherical Aberration
            3. Random variations in cornea or lens
            4. Diffraction
            5. Other Light Scatter
         2. Focusing Problems that we worry about
            1. Astigmatism
            2. Cataracts
            3. Myopia, Hyperopia, Presbyopia
         3. Retinal problems
            1. Retinitis pigmentosa
            2. Detached retina
            3. Macular degeneration
            4. Diabetic retinopathy
         4. Optic nerve problems
            1. Multiple Sclerosis
            2. Glaucoma
      6. The Retina - photoreceptors - Scotopic and Photopic systems
         1. Organization of retina
         2. Transduction of light into a neural impulse
            1. Photopigments - opsin + retinal
            2. Process of transduction
         3. Properties of the photopic (cone) and scotopic (rod) systems
            1. Type of receptor
            2. Number of receptors
            3. Location of receptors (distribution across retina)
            4. Spectral sensitivity - color vision
            5. Sensitivity (to intensity)
            6. Acuity
            7. Light/Dark adaptation
         4. Differences between infant and adult retina
         5. Aliasing

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   Updated July 26, 2002.