Vision Physiology Flashcards
What is the function of the eye?
-to transform light energy into nerve signals that can be transmitted to the cerebral cortex for interpretation
Eye sits on the roof of what?
Maxillary sinus
Sphincter pupillae
-use for what type of vision
- close vision and bright light, constricts and makes pupil smaller
- circular muscle
Dilator Pupillae
-used for what type of vision?
- distant vision and dim light, pupil dilates
- radial muscle
Stimulation of the _____ EXCITES the pupillary sphincter muscle, thereby ______ the pupillary aperture.
- ) parasympathetic nerves
2. ) decreasing (constricting)
Stimulation of ______ excites the dilator pupillae muscle, thereby ____ the pupil.
- ) Sympathetic nerves
2. )dilating
What are the fancy words for dilation and constriction of the pupils?
dilation- mydriasis
constriction- miosis
What is an afferent pupillary defect?
- cause
- how can this be demonstrated?
- decreased direct response caused by decreased visual function in one eye
- swinging flashlight test; the light is moved back and forth between the eyes every two to three seconds.
- afferent pupillary defects is when the flashlight is moved from the normal to the affected eye and the affected pupil DILATES in response to LIGHT.
What is hippus?
-normal, brief oscillations to the pupillary size in response to light.
Direct Response (pupil illuminated)
- explain this
- when would this be impaired?
- direct response is the change in pupil size in the eye to which the light is directed.
- impaired when lesion in the ipsilateral optic nerve, pretectal area, ipsilateral parasympathetics traveling to CN III, or lesion in pupillary constrictor muscle of iris/
Consensual Response (Contralateral pupil illuminated)
- explain this
- when would this be impaired?
- the change in pupil size in the eye opposite to the eye to which the light is directed.
- *normally light that is directed in one eye produces pupil constriction in both eyes.
-lesions of the contralateral optic nerve, pretectal area, ipsilateral parasympathetics traveling to CN III, or the pupillary constrictor muscle.
Accommodation (response to looking at something moving towards the eye)
- explain this
- when would this be impaired?
- elicited when the viewer directs their eyes from a distance object to a nearby object.
- impaired in lesions of the ipsilateral optic nerve, the ipsilateral parasympathetics traveling in CN III, pupillary constrictor muscle, bil. lesion of the pathways from the optic tract to the visual cortex.
- accommodation is spared in lesion tof the pretectal
Examples of disease states that block pupillary reflex
*these include but are not limited to…
alcoholism
encephalitis
CNS syphalis
Binocular vision
-ocular reflex mechanism that adjusts the orientation of each eye to produce a single image.
Conjugate Gaze
refers to the use of both eyes to look steadily in one direction
Saccadic eye movements defintion
small jumping movements that represent rapid shift in conjugate gaze orientation
Nystagmus def
sequence of SLOW ocular rotation d/t muscle fatiguing can get this with cerebellar dysfunction
Lens
- describe its structure
- what holds it in place?
avascular transparent biconvex body
- posterior side is more convex
- elastic capsule holds the lens in place, allows lens to change shape
Talk about how the lens changes.
-sympathetic input relaxes the ciliary muscle, tightening the ciliary zonule, and flattening the lens.
This is for distant vision
- parasympathetic input contracts the ciliary muscle, loosening the ciliary zonule, allowing the lens to bulge
- under normal conditions the lens remains relatively flat.
Refraction of light: When light rays strike an interface that is perpendicular to the beam the rays _______. What happens to the rays when they strike an interface that is angulated?
- rays do not deviate from course
- rays bend, the amount they bend depend on the difference between the refractive indices of the respective mediums, the greater the difference in refractive index the more the rays will bend.
Ex.- look through window the light rays strike the interface and do not deviate from their course.
Look at fish in river through water the light rays strike the interface and become angulated and bend.