The fovea is a small depression
forming a shallow pit in the retina at
the back of each eye in the human body.
Because it contains a large number of the light-sensitive photo-detector
cells called cones,
the fovea is the area of greatest acuity of vision.
This means that when an eye is directed at an object, the part
of the image of that object formed on the retina that falls onto the
fovea is the part of the image that will be perceived in the greatest
detail.
The fovea is slightly yellow in apperance and so was first called the
"Yellow Spot" or "Macula Lutea" of Sömmerring
(the scientist who first discovered and documented it).
The existance
of such an area is only known to occur in humans, the quadrumana (a
group of primates comprising apes and monkeys), and
some saurian reptiles.
The subject of visual (also known as "physiological")
optics is a key component of many courses within the fields of
both biology and physics. It is also an essential consideration
in the design of displays and control units used in many applications
from
televisions
and mobile telephones to advanced aircraft. In the context of engineering
"visual optics" is one of several medical and psychological topics in
the important area of "Human Factors".
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