Biological Influences On Visual Perception

Summary

The video discusses how people perceive colors differently due to biological, psychological, and social factors. Using examples like the viral debates over 'the dress' and the 'gray or pink shoe,' it explains how our visual perception is influenced by various conditions like presbyopia, cataracts, glaucoma, and color vision deficiency. The video emphasizes the complexity of the visual system, the impact of genetic and congenital visual disorders, and highlights the importance of being grateful for healthy vision.

Takeaways

• 👀 Visual perception varies significantly between people due to biological, psychological, and social influences.
• 👟 People saw a shoe as either gray and teal or pink and white, and a dress as either black and blue or white and gold, showing how perception differs.
• 🧠 Biological factors like the structure and condition of the visual system play a major role in how people see.
• 👴 As people age, conditions like presbyopia, cataracts, and floaters can affect vision.
• 🧬 Genetic factors contribute to many vision issues, such as myopia, hyperopia, strabismus, and amblyopia.
• 🎨 Color vision deficiency, often referred to as color blindness, is a genetically inherited disorder that affects how people perceive colors.
• 👓 Achromatopsia is a condition where a person lacks the ability to see colors at all, often due to damage to the visual system.
• 🌒 Retinitis pigmentosa is a genetic disorder where protein growth causes rods and cones in the retina to die, leading to night blindness and loss of peripheral vision.
• 🔍 The Ishihara test is commonly used to detect color vision deficiencies.
• 🙏 Despite various visual disorders, many people can still appreciate the complex and incredible sense of sight.

Q & A

What are the three main categories of factors that affect how we perceive vision?

The three main categories of factors that affect how we perceive vision are biological influences, psychological influences, and social influences.

What is chromatopsia and how does it differ from colorblindness?

Chromatopsia is a condition where one might have partial or total absence of color vision, which is different from colorblindness where people have difficulty distinguishing between colors.

How does the eye's complexity contribute to potential vision problems?

The eye's complexity means that any part of it can be affected, thus impacting vision. Conditions such as presbyopia, floaters, cataracts, AMD, and glaucoma can all affect different parts of the eye.

What is presbyopia and why does it become common in old age?

Presbyopia is a condition where the lens of the eye loses elasticity and can't bend light as effectively, causing difficulty in focusing on near objects. It becomes common in old age due to the natural aging process of the eye.

What is floaters and how does it affect vision?

Floaters are clumps of matter that appear as specks or spots in vision, caused by the deterioration of the vitreous humor in the eye. They affect vision by creating the appearance of moving spots or floaters in the field of vision.

Can you explain cataracts and how they impact vision?

Cataracts are a condition where proteins in the lens break down, causing a cloudy spot in the lens and leading to blurred vision. They are common with aging, and can also be influenced by factors like smoking and poor diet.

What is AMD and how does it affect vision?

AMD, or age-related macular degeneration, is a condition where grainy deposits form in the center of the retina, causing deterioration of central vision. People with AMD have a blurry spot in the middle of their vision, and it's one of the leading causes of vision loss.

What is glaucoma and why is it significant?

Glaucoma is a condition that affects the optic nerve's ability to transmit visual information to the brain. It can lead to blindness if not addressed, and it's significant because it affects a large number of elderly people, including over 150,000 in Australia.

How do genetic factors influence inherited visual disorders?

Genetic factors can lead to inherited visual disorders such as myopia, hyperopia, strabismus, amblyopia, glaucoma, and AMD. These conditions are passed down due to genetic factors.

What is color vision deficiency and why is it more common in men?

Color vision deficiency is a genetically inherited disorder that affects how people perceive color. It is more common in men because it is caused by a mutation of a gene located on the X chromosome, and males have only one X chromosome, unlike females who have two.

What is the Ishihara test and how is it used?

The Ishihara test is a famous type of color blindness test that uses a series of plates with colored dots to detect color vision deficiencies. People with normal color vision can discern numbers within the plates, while those with deficiencies may not see them or see them incorrectly.

What is retinitis pigmentosa and how does it affect vision?

Retinitis pigmentosa is a genetic visual disorder that affects the retina, causing the rods and eventually cones to die, leading to night blindness and loss of peripheral vision.