Eye Spy

Our eyes stand today as one of the most complex organs in our body today. How our eyes take in light and refine them into crystal-clear images has become one the most hotly-debated topics of today, as no one has ever completely studied and researched the eye. Therefore, my question was, “How does red eye occur and how does it apply to the two major factions of eye structure?” Due to extensive preliminary research, I have found out much about eye structures and how to perceive vision from another point of view. The general eye can be classified as two main builds: the simple eye and the compound eye. The simple eye, the one that we have, looks mainly like this:

In this diagram above, the main light-sensing organs are labeled. When light enters the eye, it must first pass through the cornea and the pupil, which is like a window in which light is filtered and floods in. Then, the light gets filtered once again by two walls called the iris, which detects color and sends these messages to the brain. The light continues to pass until it hits the retina or the lining on the back of they eye, which acts as a sort of screen on which to place the image. Here, nerve sensors take the image as impulses and send it to the brain.

Relating to my main question, I would like to talk about red eye, and eyeshine in general. Red eye appears in flash photographs in dimly lit areas, such as the aquarium or a movie theatre. This happens when the bright light in flash photographs illuminate our pupils like a light pouring in a room, allowing us to peer inside. The red color comes from blood vessels inside our pupil. For vertebrates such as dogs, cats, bats, and owls, a mirror-like gland called the tapetum lucidum coats the retina, which reflects ...

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... hole of the pupil. By investigating a rented piece of calcite, I could find how the compound eye structure could not work and how it cannot successfully reflect light at a direct angle.

In conclusion, my conclusion is that red eye only applies to eye structures with reflective surfaces, such as the simple eye. Compound eye structures are coned and have a layer of graphite, unable to reflect any light back but needing to absorb only direct light to produce a certain image.

Our lives sometimes depend on our eyes. Think of covering your eyes and walking across a busy street. By investigating red eye and how it applies to our lives today, we can use it to our fullest advantage. For example, eye doctors shine bright lights into our eyes to get a look inside without harming us. This type of research can lead to major improvements on laser surgery and safer eye habits.