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Encyclopedia of Color Science and Technology pp 1–2Cite as

Blind Spot

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Synonyms

Physiologic scotoma; Punctum caecum

Definition

The blind spot is the name given to the scotomatous area of each eye’s visual field that lacks visual input, due to the photoreceptor-free region of the retina where the optic nerve exits the eye.

Overview

The phenomenon of the blind spot was first described in 1668 by the French Roman Catholic priest and scientist Edme Mariotte, who used small circles of white paper to locate the region of visual space in which they disappeared [1]. Prior to this discovery, the role of the optic disc was not clear, and scientists such as Leonardo da Vinci (1452–1519) had thought that the visual image actually fell only on the head of the optic nerve itself [2]. The vertically oval area of the blind spot subtends about 5 × 7° of visual angle and corresponds to the projection in visual space of the optic nerve head, which has average vertical and horizontal disc diameters of 1.88 and 1.77 mm, respectively [3]. The physiological blind spot is...

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References

  1. Grzybowski, A., Aydin, P.: Edme Mariotte (1620–1684): Pioneer of neurophysiology. Surv. Ophthalmol. 52(4), 443–451 (2007)

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  2. Arrington, G.E.: A History of Ophthalmology. MD Publications, New York (1959)

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  3. Quigley, H.A., Brown, A.E., Morrison, J.D., Drance, S.M.: The size and shape of the optic disc in normal human eyes. Arch. Ophthalmol. 108(1), 51–57 (1990)

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  4. Spillmann, L., Otte, T., Hamburger, K., Magnussen, S.: Perceptual filling-in from the edge of the blind spot. Vision Res. 46(25), 4252–4257 (2006)

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  5. Ramachandran, V.S., Gregory, R.L.: Perceptual filling in of artificially induced scotomas in human vision. Nature 350(6320), 699–702 (1991)

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  6. Jonas, J., Gusek, G., Fernández, M.: Correlation of the blind spot size to the area of the optic disk and parapapillary atrophy. Am. J. Ophthalmol. 111(5), 559–565 (1991)

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  7. Meyer, J.H., Guhlmann, M., Funk, J.: Blind spot size depends on the optic disc topography: a study using SLO controlled scotometry and the Heidelberg retina tomograph. Br. J. Ophthalmol. 81(5), 355–359 (1997)

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  8. Yates, J., Diamantopoulos, I., Daumann, F.: Acquired (transient and permanent) color vision disorders. In: Menu, J. (ed.) Operational Color Vision in the Modern Aviation Environment. North Atlantic Treaty Organization Research and Technology Organization A, Neuilly-Sur-Seine Cedex (2001). 1

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  9. Miller, R.F.: The physiology and morphology of the vertebrate retina. In: Ryan, S.J. (ed.) Retina, vol. 1, 2nd edn, pp. 58–71. Mosby, St. Louis (1994)

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. The UCL Institute of Ophthalmology and Moorfields Eye Hospital, London, UK

    Jonathan Aboshiha

Authors
  1. Jonathan Aboshiha
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Jonathan Aboshiha .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. School of Design University of Leeds, Leeds, United Kingdom

    Ronnier Luo

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© 2015 Springer Science+Business Media New York

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Aboshiha, J. (2015). Blind Spot. In: Luo, R. (eds) Encyclopedia of Color Science and Technology. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-27851-8_274-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-27851-8_274-1

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, New York, NY

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-642-27851-8

  • eBook Packages: Springer Reference Physics and AstronomyReference Module Physical and Materials ScienceReference Module Chemistry, Materials and Physics

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Chapter history

  1. Latest

    Blind Spot
    Published:
    14 March 2020

    DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-27851-8_274-3

  2. Blind Spot
    Published:
    22 May 2019

    DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-27851-8_274-2

  3. Original

    Blind Spot
    Published:
    06 April 2015

    DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-27851-8_274-1

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