Animal and insect eyes, Night Vision

Label the parts of a compound eye.

a

b

c

receiver cell

nerve

lens

Insects' (a)   eyes make them aware of quick changes in light, and their (b)   eyes enable them to see up, down, behind, and ahead at the same time.

• simple

• compound

Answer explanation

Insects usually have 3 simple eyes and 2 compound eyes.

The common housefly has 5 eyes, and 2 are big enough to cover almost its entire head. Each of the large eyes has 4,000 lenses, and each lens has its own light receiver cells and nerve. In a sense, the housefly actually has thousands of tiny eyes.

Birds need sharp eyes to spot food. Most have a (a)   to cover their eyes when they are flying among branches or through cold winds and rain. Birds that fly and swim have a (b)   that draws across their eyes as they plunge into water.

• third eyelid

• membrane

• tapetum

Answer explanation

A ridge of feathers acts as an awning to protect bald eagle's eyes from the hot rays of the sun as he flies high in the air.

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS1-3

What do many nocturnal animals have that allows them to see better at night?

• Third Eyelids

• Tapetum

• Compound Eyes

Answer explanation

🔶Tapetum is an extra layer of cells behind the retina that reflects light back to the retina giving the animal more light by which to see.

🔶Their retinas also have more rods than cones that allows them to distinguish shapes in dim lights.

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS4-4

Cats, dogs, deer, alligators, rabbits, frogs, and some spiders have ______ cells. These animals have eyeshine -- their eyes appear to glow in the dark.

• tapetum

• compound

• membrane

The working together of both eyes to produce one image of the same object is called ______.

• Binocular vision

• Monocular vision

• Stereoscopic vision

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS1-8

The seeing of images by each eye separately (seeing more than one image at a time) is called ______.

• Monocular vision

• Binocular vision

• Night vision

Answer explanation

Because their eyes are positioned at the sides of their heads instead of in the front, they do not look straight ahead, but rather off to the side. Their eyes move independently. Rabbits can see full circle, and horses can even see behind them.

Why do bees, butterflies, birds, and reptiles need to distinguish color?

• For finding food and mates

• For survival and blending in with their surroundings

• For navigation

Answer explanation

Scientists, however, believe that many mammals do not see color. They do not need to, because in their natural state many of them hunt at night.