P3 topic 1 Flashcards
Pupil
The hole in the centre of the iris which allows light into the eye
Cornea
The curved surface at the front of the eye that refracts light towards the lens
Iris
The coloured part of the eye which is the muscle that changes the size of the pupil (and therefore the amount of light entering it)
Lens
The part behind the iris which focuses the light onto the retina
Ciliary muscles
The muscles to change the shape of the lens. A thin lens is needed to view distant objects and a fatter lens is needed for objects closer up. This is called accommodation.
Retina
The inside surface at the back of the eye which contains many light sensitive cells that send messages along the optic nerve to the brain.
what happens when light travels from a more optically dense material to a less optic dense material?
it is refracted and reflected at the boundary
what happens when the angle of incidence equals the critical angle?
some light is refracted at 90 degrees to the normal (ie it goes along the boundary) and some light is internally reflected
total internal reflection
a phenomenon where 100% of the light is reflected back into a material, where the ray hits the boundary at an angle greater than the critical angle
critical angle
the angle of incidence in a denser medium that gives an angle of refraction equal to 90 degrees
what does the critical angle depend on?
the type of material
optical fibres
thin, flexible rods of transparent material such as glass for transmitting light from one end to another
how is light transmitted along optical fibres?
by being totally internally reflected all the way along- it can’t escape as it always hits the boundary at an angle greater than the critical angle
what are optical fibres used for?
transmitting high-speed signals in broadband networks and computers
endoscope
a medical instrument used to see inside the human body- it used optical fibres and can be equipped with other surgical instruments to carry out keyhole surgery
how many bundles of optical fibres does an endoscope use?
2- one to illuminate the inside of the patient and one to reflect the image back to an eyepiece or camera
how is electricity generated and received?
using piezoelectric transducers
what frequency of ultrasound is used to form images of the in insides of our bodies in hospitals?
1.5 mHz
what happens the higher the frequency of the ultrasound used to form images?
the shorter the wavelength, and then smaller the detail of the image can be
how can a 3D image be created with ultrasound?
by linking it to computers
why are ultrasound scans safer than x-rays?
ultrasound is a non-ionising radiation
what can ultrasound scans be used to diagnose?
cysts, tumours, blocked arteries, kidney stones, foetal abnormalities