You’re out sightseeing and you notice something beautiful. You want to remember exactly how it looked, so you pull out your camera and take a photo. Cameras are wonderful devices and, believe it or not, have many functional similarities to the human eye. How does the eye work? When you look at an object, the light it generates enters your eyes. The light first passes through the corneas, which begin focusing the light. It then passes through to the pupils. The size of the pupils changes to regulate the amount of light entering the eyes. The light is then focused through the lenses and onto the retinas. The retina is a light-sensitive layer in the back of the eye that contains highly evolved cells called rods and cones. The retina then changes the image into electrical and chemical impulses, which are transmitted along the optic nerves and into the visual center of the brain. It is when the image reaches your brain that vision occurs. How does a camera work? A camera also focuses light through a lens and onto a receptive surface. However, a camera focuses it onto a sensor, or film if you’re using an older camera. And like your eye, a camera can also adjust to let different amounts of light in. In your eye, this is done with the iris; in a camera, the aperture. The differences between an eye and a camera However, there are a few differences in their operation. For example, when focusing on an object, the lens of a camera moves towards or away from the object, while in your eye the lens itself changes shape. On top of that, our eyes can adjust to different levels of light much better than cameras. There are many cases we’ll be able to see something clearly in dim light, but a camera will only produce a blurry photograph. Also, a camera can take in wider visual scopes depending on what lens is attached to the camera. You cannot, of course, swap lenses in your eye. There’s also one big difference between eyes and cameras: only your eyes can get treated by the premier doctors at CEENTA. If you need an appointment to have any part of your eyes checked, don’t hesitate to call. We’ll help you clearly see the world around you, even if you don’t take a picture of it. This blog is for informational purposes only. For specific medical questions, please consult your physician. To make an appointment with a CEENTA eye doctor, call 704-295-3000. You can also schedule an appointment online or through myCEENTAchart.
