▪ Abstract Vision at absolute threshold is based on signals produced in a tiny fraction of the
rod photoreceptors. This requires that the rods signal the absorption of single photons, and …

Human vision is exquisitely sensitive—a dark-adapted observer is capable of reliably
detecting the absorption of a few quanta of light. Such sensitivity requires that the sensory …

Background Vision in starlight relies on our ability to detect single absorbed photons.
Indeed, the sensitivity of dark-adapted vision approaches limits set by the quantal nature of …

Effective sensory processing requires matching the gain of neural responses to the range of
signals encountered. For rod vision, gain controls operate at light levels at which photons …

Several studies have suggested that the visual system can detect dim lights with a fidelity
limited only by Poisson fluctuations in photon absorption and spontaneous activation of …

In sensory biology, a major outstanding question is how sensory receptor cells minimize
noise while maximizing signal to set the detection threshold. This optimization could be …

At very low light levels the sensitivity of the visual system is determined by the efficiency with
which single photons are captured, and the resulting signal transmitted from the rod …

The sensitivity of receptor cells places a fundamental limit upon the sensitivity of sensory
systems. For example, the signal‐to‐noise ratio of sensory receptors has been suggested to …

Adaptation or gain control allows sensory neurons to encode diverse stimuli using a limited
range of output signals. Rod vision exemplifies a general challenge facing adaptational …

Information transfer in the brain relies upon energetically expensive spiking activity of
neurons. Rates of information flow should therefore be carefully optimized, but mechanisms …