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What is the effect of more or less neural converge for our vision?

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Final answer:

More neural convergence leads to less sharp peripheral vision, and more visual accommodation is required for focusing on nearby objects with the lens becoming thicker and more powerful to properly converge the light rays onto the retina.

Step-by-step explanation:

The effect of more or less neural convergence on our vision relates to the sharpness of the images we see. In the human eye, neural convergence occurs when multiple photoreceptor cells (rods and cones) in the retina connect to a single retinal ganglion cell (RGC). The degree of neural convergence is higher in peripheral regions of the retina compared to the central area, known as the fovea. This is why we have a higher visual acuity, or sharper vision, when we look at something directly as the fovea contains a one-to-one connection ratio of photoreceptors to RGCs. On the other hand, objects in our peripheral view appear less sharp due to more neural convergence resulting in less detailed vision.

Moreover, the process of accommodation in the eye allows us to focus on objects at different distances. For faraway objects, less accommodation is required since light rays enter the eye almost parallel and are easily converged by the lens onto the retina. However, for near objects, the light rays are more divergent, hence the lens must become thicker and more powerful to converge them properly on the retina. This process is guided by the ciliary muscles, which adjust the lens thickness to vary its converging power. Therefore, more neural convergence is linked to more effort and visual accommodation for focusing on closer objects and less sharpness in peripheral vision.

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