Vision in Vertebrates

When Dr. Katherine Tansley's "Vision in Vertebrates" appeared in 1965, it filled a real void that had hitherto existed. It did so by serving at once as a text-book: for an undergraduate course, a general introduction to the subject for post-graduate students embarking on research on some aspect of vision, and the interested non-specialists. Gordon Walls' "The Vertebrate Eye and It. s Adaptive Radiation" and A. Rochon-Duvigneaud's "Les Yeux et la Vision des Vertebres" have served as important sources of information on the subject and continue to do so even though it is 40 years since they appeared. However, they are essentially specialised reference works and are not easily accessible to boot. The genius of Katherine Tansley was to present in a succinct (132 pages) and lucid way a clear and an interesting survey of the matter. Everyone liked it, particularly the students because one could read it quickly and understand it. Thus, when it seemed that a new edition was desirable, especially in view of the enormous strides made and the vast literature that had accumulated in the past 20 years, one of us (MAA) asked Dr. Tansley if she would undertake the task. Since she is in retirement and her health not in a very satisfactory state both she and her son, John Lythgoe (himself a specialist of vision), asked us to take over the task.

1. Structure of the Vertebrate Eye. - Cornea. - Aqueous Humour. - Iris. - Ciliary Body. - Crystalline Lens. - Vitreous Body. - Retina. - Development. - Eye Movements. - 2. Physiology of the Retina. - Photoreceptors. - Secondary (Intermediate) Neurones. - Electrophysiological Evidence of Retinal Characteristics. - Applications. - 3. Visual Pigments. - Biochemistry. - Methods of Study. - Physiological Significance. - 4. Accommodation. - Fishes. - Amphibians. - Reptiles and Birds. - Mammals. - 5. Adaptations to Light and Dimness. - Regulation of Light Reaching the Visual Pigment. - Absorption by Visual Pigment. - Neural Processing. - 6. Adaptations to Various Modes of Life. - The Diurnal Habit. - The Nocturnal Habit. - The Arhythmic Habit. - Summary. - 7. Retinal Adaptations to Habitats. - Aquatic Medium. - Terresterial Environment. - Temperature. - Summary. - 8. Acuity and Sensitivity. - Acuity. - Sensitivity. - Summary. - 9. Colour Vision. - Vision of Monochromats. - Vision of Dichromats. - Vision of Trichromats. - Defects in Colour Vision. - Colour Vision in Animals. - Determination of Colour Vision. - 10. Visual Transduction. - Calcium Hypothesis. - Negative Transmitter Hypothesis. - Calcium and cGMP. - 11. Processing by the Central Nervous System. - Optic Nerve, Chiasma and Tract. - Optic Tectum. - Pretectal Area. - Dorsal Thalamus. - Visual Centres in the Telencephalon. - Evolution of the Mechanisms of Vision. - Binocular (Stereoscopic) Vision. - Processing of Colour Vision. - 12. Visual Illusions. - Size/Shape Distortion. - Movement Distortion. - Brightness and Colour Distortions. - Summary. - 13. Extraocular Photoreceptors. - Pineal. - Brain and Dermal Photoreceptors. - Summary. - References. - Systematic Index.