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eye movement
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A labeled flowchart shows how eye movement is controlled: signals move from retina feedback and error evaluation, to a brain control center, to eye movement muscles, resulting in eye movements. Feedback loops monitor actual eye position to keep vision stable.
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eye movement

physiology
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A labeled flowchart shows how eye movement is controlled: signals move from retina feedback and error evaluation, to a brain control center, to eye movement muscles, resulting in eye movements. Feedback loops monitor actual eye position to keep vision stable.
diagram of information flow in eye movement control Visual tracking employs feedback loops that function to keep the eyes on a target as the head moves.

The eyes are constantly in motion, even when attempting to focus on a stationary object. These movements are crucial for clear vision, as only a small part of the retina, the fovea, provides sharp sight.12

There are three main types of eye movements:
* High-frequency, irregular movements: These occur 30-70 times per second with small excursions.1
* Saccades: These are rapid flicks, occurring about once per second, that reposition the gaze onto a target after it has drifted away.13
* Slow drifts: These are irregular movements that occur between saccades.1

These movements ensure that images repeatedly stimulate new photoreceptor cells (rods and cones) on the retina, preventing adaptation and the cessation of visual signals to the brain. Eye movements are controlled by extraocular muscles, innervated by cranial nerves, and are influenced by both voluntary control and reflex responses to environmental changes. The vestibulo-ocular reflex (VOR) is a key example, stabilizing gaze by countering head movements.12456

Summary created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
8 Britannica Sources
  1. human eye - The nature of eye movements
  2. human eye - Binocular movements
  3. vestibulo-ocular reflex
  4. human eye - Nervous control
  5. human eye - Actions of muscles
  6. saccade
  7. human eye - Voluntary centre
  8. human nervous system - Conscious sensation

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