Spakowitz Research Group

Biology 2: Vision Lab

Written by Amy Lam and Jennifer Cabello

Sight is one of the five senses that we rely upon to observe the world. The eyes are adaptable and versatile organs that help us perform our everyday duties. They detect light and send signals along the optic nerve to the brain to process the images we see. In this lab, we will explore some of the capabilities and limitations of the eye. We will look at the extent of peripheral vision, the size of the blind spot, depth perception, and color vision.

The lab is split into two stations. One station covers peripheral vision, the blind spot, and depth perception. To test peripheral vision, we will examine how far students can see by counting the number of fingers that are held up as those fingers are positioned farther and farther away from them. To examine the blind spot, we will trace out the diameter of it to measure the size of the blind spot. We will use a simple coin drop test to examine depth perception. The second station (at the computers) covers color vision. Here, you will examine afterimages and optical illusions. Please finish one station before moving onto the next. Answer the questions at the end.