Foveal

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Schematic diagram of the human eye, with the fovea at the bottom.

The foveal system of the human eye is the only part of the retina that permits 100% visual acuity. The line of sight is a virtual line connecting the fovea with a fixation point in the outside world.

The discovery of the line of sight is attributed to Leonardo DaVinci.^[1]

His main experimental finding was that there is only a distinct and clear vision at the line of sight, the optical line that ends at the fovea. Although he did not use these words literally he actually is the father of the modern distinction between foveal vision (a more precise term for central vision) and peripheral vision.

Leonardo DaVinci: The eye has a central line and everything that reaches the eye through this central line can be seen distinctly.

Leonardo DaVinci, (1452-1519) was the first in Europe to recognize the special optical qualities of the eye. He derived his insights partly through introspection but mainly through a process that could be described as optical modelling. Based on dissection of the human eye he made experiments with water-filled cristal balls. He wrote "The function of the human eye, ... was described by a large number of authors in a certain way. But I found it to be completely different."

The modern diagram to the right shows that the fovea is a sort of pit. The Latin word fovea actually means pitfall: a pitfall for catching something by sight.

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