Lecture – 09

The iris reflex:

The role of iris is to control the amount of light entering the eye, by changing the size of
the pupil.

The iris contains two types of muscles: circular and radial muscles.
Circular muscles form a ring shape in the iris, and radial muscles run radially.

In bright light:
Circular muscles contract;
Radial muscles relax;
Pupil constricts (diameter of pupil decreases);
Allowing less light to enter, decreasing the risk of damage to the retina.

In dim light:
Circular muscles relax
Radial muscles contract
Pupil dilates (diameter of the pupil decreases)
Allowing more light to enter so that clear image of an object will form on retina.
Summary of iris reflex:
In the iris reflex, the route from stimulus to response is this:
Stimulus (light intensity) → retina (receptor) → sensory neurones in optic nerve→
unconscious part of the brain→ motor neurones in nerve to iris → iris muscles (effectors)
→ response (change in size of pupil)

What are the importance’s of having two eyes?

Answer:
1. Apart from overcoming the effect of blind spot, two eyes view the same picture from
two slightly different positions.
2. This provides vision in three dimensions
3. The ability to judge distance and speed
4. Offers animals a chance of survival even if one eye is damaged.

Synapse: A synapse is actually a gap between two nerve cells.

Describe how nerve impulses (electrical signals) pass from one neurone to
other through synapse?
Answer:
1. Impulses arriving at a synapse cause the ends of the fine branches of the axon to
secrete a chemical called neurotransmitter.
2. Neurotransmitter diffuses across synapse.
3. Neurotransmitter attaches to membrane of second neurone.
4. Impulses started in second neurone.
5. Neurotransmitter broken down by enzyme from second neurone.