The Brain and Eyes Working Together

Humans possess five primary senses, which collect information through sensory organs and transmit it to the brain where it is processed and interpreted, allowing us to perceive and interact with our environment. They are sight, hearing, touch, taste and smell. The eyes are the sensory organs for sight. The stethoscope is widely regarded as a symbol of medicine, and is primarily used to listen to the heart and lungs. However, in neurology and neurosurgery, the ophthalmoscope is a key instrument, enabling examination of the eyes to learn about the brain. The eyes perceive light, which the retina, often referred to as the “window to the brain”, converts into electrical signals that the brain interprets as vision.