![]() ![]() Now, perhaps it is appropriate to jump to humans. It is inconceivable that the bacteria are aware of what it is seeing, much like a camera is unaware of the pictures it has taken, only the photographer. These cyanobacteria are sentient in that they can detect light, but no one is arguing that they are conscious of what they see. movement towards light) involves the focusing of light on the opposite cell membrane, the detection of the focused light by photo receptors, the local inactivation of mobility apparatuses, and accumulation of mobility apparatuses on the membrane nearest the light source. In a literal sense, these bacteria, only three microns in diameter, are able to act as lenses. Rather than sensing gradients of light, these cyanobacteria were instead observed to focus light onto the cell membrane opposite of the light source. Recently, the mechanism by which photosynthetic cyanobacteria move directionally towards light has been uncovered. It has been known for over a hundred years that certain species of bacteria exhibit phototaxis, the process of moving towards or away from light. However, there are humans with peculiar brain injuries that help shape the distinction between sentience and consciousness that may help us understand what goes on in the brain of other animal species and, perhaps, feel sympathy.įirst, I believe it is key to clearly establish the difference between conscious and sentient sight. It is impossible, more or less, to study what they are subjectively experiencing. In most contexts, we are limited to studying the response of animals under different conditions. By exploring whether an animal is aware of what it sees, we can begin to imagine whether and which animals are conscious, the implication being that these animals can not only be distressed but feel distress, not only be harmed but feel harm. Before I get into the case studies and basic biology, I just want to establish why I believe this exercise is worthwhile. But again, more interestingly is that you are aware of what you see. The result is the ability to see and identify objects in 3D dimensional space. ![]() The information collected by the light-sensitive cells of the retina travel along two routes in the brain the dorsal stream links visuals information with the parietal lobe that processes the location of objects in the visual field and the ventral stream that connects the temporal lobe tasked with image recognition. When light strikes the rods and cones of the retina, an electrical signal is relayed to the brain. In humans, the cornea focuses incoming light onto the retina. Put simply, conscious vision is best described as your mind’s eye a world created in your brain, an interpretation based on incoming visual cues. Conscious vision involves being able to see what you are seeing. Sentient vision relates to the ability to sense and focus light to recreate an image. A more interesting question, at least to me, is whether a seeing animal is it aware that is sees? The two abilities are not necessarily coupled. A corollary is that an animal in possession of eyes is most likely using them to see. If eyes no longer serve a purpose, they are rapidly lost. Vestigial or non-existent eyes are incredibly common among cave species, with tens of thousands of examples throughout the animal kingdom. If an animal has eyes, can it see? Probably. It's ok to eat fish because they don't have any feelings
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