The Retina

eyes · light · vision · neuroscience

Works like a camera. Just as a camera has film or a sensor to capture images, your retina is the special light-sensitive tissue at the back of your eye that catches pictures of everything you look at.

Sends messages to your brain. The retina doesn't just catch light, it processes what it sees and then sends electrical signals through the optic nerve to your brain, which creates the feeling of actually seeing something.

Made of light-sensitive cells. Your retina contains millions of special cells that react when light hits them, turning that light into the nerve signals that your brain needs to make sense of the world.

Receives focused pictures. The front of your eye focuses light like a camera lens, creating a sharp two-dimensional image right on your retina so you can see things clearly.