Basic Clinical Optics

Chapter one begins with the introduction of fundamental theories of light and vision, traversing through the primeval thinking to the current understanding, and acknowledging the early scientists without whose efforts this body of knowledge would have amounted to nothing. It introduces the reader to the concepts of wavefront, optical ray and the fundamental wave properties of light such as reflection, refraction, diffraction, polarization and interference. It further demonstrates how the properties of light are observed in nature as colours of sky and seas; moonlight; eclipse, day and night. The chapter prepares the reader and sets the stage for detailed discussion of properties of light as applied in clinical settings in the subsequent chapters.