The Brain’s Role in Eyesight

The ability to see with is one of the most interesting abilities of the entire human body. Many people are grateful that they have the gift of vision, but they have no idea how it actually works. Some people will ask their eye doctor in Miami Beach about just how the eye functions during their appointment so they can get a better understanding of how complex the eye is. There are many things involved in a person’s ability to see, and the eye and brain both play an equal factor in sight. The eyes transmit signals to the brain, and the brain turns these signals into images that a person is able to understand. While learning all about how the eye and brain work together may be more than an eye doctor in Miami can explain in one appointment, it is interesting information to know.

What the Brain Does That Allows You to See

To understand the brain’s role in eyesight, it’s essential to understand how eyesight works in general. As mentioned earlier, electrical signals are sent to the brain by the eye, but people need to know about how these signals are generated in the first place. This is what many Miami Beach eye doctors have explained to their patients in the past:

● Light passes through the front of the eye, where it’s focused by the cornea, the iris, and the lens.

● When light enters the eye, it passes through the vitreous gel and lands on the retina– located in the back of the eye.

● The retina’s job is to translate the images from light into electrical signals and onto the brain via the optic nerves.

● The optic nerves are thin, small fibers that connect the eyeball to the brain. Eye muscles hold the eyeball in place, but the brain is connected to the eye via optic nerves.

● After the electrical signals are received by the brain, it is able to make use of the information by turning the signals into images, which is what a person sees.

The Eye and Brain As a Team

In order for someone to be able to look at an object and know what it is, it takes a tandem effort from both their eyes and brain. Without the eye to transmit the signals to the brain, people would not be able to see. Without the brain’s ability to decipher these signals into usable images, people would be unable to see. In order for someone to see images clearly, their brain needs to have quality signals coming from the eye. Wearing eyeglasses in Miami Beach can allow someone’s eyes to properly focus light onto the retina, forming clearer images that the brain can understand better.

photo credit: Elena via photopin (license)