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Eyeballs
In this Pathway, we will take a look at our own eyes and how they work. There are many ways to learn about the eye and its place in our visual system, including looking at the inside of a cow’s eye, looking into our own living eye, and experimenting with our vision.
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Cow's Eye Dissection Note: Cow's eye dissections are conducted throughout the day at the demonstration table. What are two differences between a cow’s eye and a human eye? What parts of the eye allow it to focus? What determines the color of your iris?   What color (if any) are the parts inside the eye (aqueous fluid, lens, and vitreous humor)? Blood Vessels of the Eye Remember seeing the red blood vessels in the back of the cow’s eye? Now look at your own! Make a sketch of what you see. Why don’t we notice these vessels all the time? Are these vessels in front of, or behind, our retina?   Blood Cells in the Eye Look inside your own eyeball! Describe how your blood cells look and move. Do you notice any rhythm to the movement you see? What is this rhythm? Hint: Feel your pulse while you look at your cells.   Afterimage Bright light can leave a lasting impression. What happens after the flash of light, when you look around you?   About how long does the effect last? When have you noticed this effect before?   Pupil This exhibit allows you to "manually override" what is usually an automatic body response. In what light is your pupil the biggest? In what light is it the smallest? How could you repeat this experiment at home?
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