How we see

Vision - the faculty of sight - is one of the most amazing abilities to have evolved. It can be an extremely sensitive tool of perception, yet is also very vulnerable to adverse conditions. For several hours a day, for example, darkness renders our eyes near-useless, and yet, on a clear day, as the saying goes, we can see for miles.

This is because vision depends on light. Light is reflected off objects and enters our eyes. The eyes then focus the light and turn it into tiny electrical impulses that are sent along the optic nerve to the brain, and it is in the brain that we actually see things.

The way we see things depends on where the reflected light is coming from. If it’s coming from exactly where our gaze falls, we see things sharply and in detail; this is called our "central vision". If it’s coming from somewhere off-centre, it falls within our "peripheral vision".

Both central and peripheral vision are important. Without central vision, we couldn’t read, recognise faces or look at things directly. Without peripheral vision, it would be very difficult to move around without bumping into things.

Find out more about the way the eye works, visit - the eye.

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The eye
Colour
Optical illusion
Art and vision
Vision in nature
Quiz
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How we see | Looking after your sight | Problems & solutions

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