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 What is Vision?
Simple
Eyes
The
Brain and Eye
The
Single-Lens Eye
Anatomy
of a Single-Lens Eye
The
Compound Eye
Anatomy
of a Compound Eye
The Eyes Have
It
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The Compound Eye
 Most invertebrates -- crustaceans and insects -- have compound eyes. A compound eye is made up of many separate units called ommatidia (singular: ommatidium). Each unit has its own surface area, lens, and optic nerve fiber. It receives light from a small part of the animals field of view. The animal's brain integrates these views into a single image.
An insect's compound eyes bulge out and have a wide field of view. The lenses in compound eyes can't change focus, so insects can't see things that are far away. However, most things that concern an insect are up close and personal. The compound eye is very good at seeing things nearby and detecting motion, as anyone who's tried to swat a fly knows.
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