Page 61 - Miracle in the Eye

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ACTION PANEL
The lower genicu-
late cells take the
An image's color, motion, brain work together. But
nerve signals and mysterious parts of the
transmit them on. 5
derstand how an image's
The upper four BRINGING TOGETHER
rows of cells depth and form are all es- scientists have yet to un-
transmit informa- four aspects (color, mo-
tion about color tablished in different tion, depth and form) can
and fine detail. parts of the brain. The be perceived as one.
Different inputs final image is assembled
from the same when these and other
image are trans-
ferred separately
in parallel.

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LEFT AND RIGHT
Yellow optic nerves carry
signals from the left half of 6
the retina. Conversely, the WHAT? WHERE?
red optic nerves carry sig- In the brain's tem-
nals from the right. The two poral cortex, im-
types of nerves, separating ages are
from each other at the optic recognized, com-
chiasma, connect to the pared and under-
genucilate body of thala- stood. People with
mus. From here, the sig- damage to this por-
nals follow different paths tion of their brain
on their way to the visual lose their ability to
center. This way, we can recognize faces,
still see a complete picture, even including their
even we close one eye. own.