Specifying and controlling the optical image on the human retina.

A review covering the trends that led to the current state of knowledge in the areas of: (a) schematic models of the eye, and the definition of the retinal image in terms of first-order optics; (b) the description of the actual image on the retina and methods for accessing and characterizing it; (c) available procedures for controlling the quality of the retinal image in defined situations; and (d) intra-receptoral optical effects that cause differences between the light distribution on the retinal surface and at the level of interaction with photopigment molecules.