2 credits
Spring 2026 Lecture Upper Division
This course will cover the fundamental structure and function of the eye and visual nervous system. Brief review lectures will be provided on basic cell biology and neuroscience to provide a strong foundation for topics such as phototransduction, retinal neural circuit function, and disease etiology. The first half of the course will be focused on the normal and healthy anatomy and physiology of the eye. The second half the course will be focused on eye and visual diseases and their associated pathophysiology and clinical manifestations. This part of the course will include lessons on eye imaging techniques and cutting-edge treatments used for detection and treatment of eye diseases. This course will be beneficial for any student interest in clinical or medical research, and highly recommended for those interested in optometry, ophthalmology, and visual research careers. Permission of department required.
Learning Outcomes1Describe the normal anatomy of the eye and visual pathways in the brain.
2Discuss neural circuit and cell signaling pathways in phototransduction.
3Describe the cellular etiology of ocular disease processes.
4Understand the basic approaches to studying and assessing eye function.
Prerequisites
Restrictions
made by Purdue students.