● Webvision: http://webvision.med.utah.edu/

We know a lot about the anatomy, physiology and development of the retina. So much, in fact, that this structure is arguably the part of the central nervous system that we understand best. A cursory visit to the Webvision web site will quickly show you that this is no exaggeration. This fantastic site, which is maintained by Helga Kolb, Eduardo Fernández and Ralph Nelson at the University of Utah, has very detailed information on the retina at all levels of analysis and depth.

In addition to basic concepts on the structure and function of the retina, Webvision includes more advanced sections on retinal neurochemistry, colour vision and psychophysics. The authors provide a good deal of background information, including milestones in the history of the field, which makes the site extraordinarily accessible and an invaluable educational resource. The quality of their illustrations is also high, and links to higher-resolution versions are bound to prove useful in lectures and seminars. The site is very well referenced, and constitutes an ideal platform from which to search for further information.

Webvision is so comprehensive that there is even an abridged version in Spanish, which is hosted at the Universidad Miguel Hernández in Alicante, Spain. Although it might be a tall order, we hope that, in future, all of the sections will be fully translated for the benefit of the Spanish-speaking scientific community.

With these solid foundations in place, the authors have started to extend the site beyond the retina to include a section on the primary visual cortex. We look forward to this expansion — and parallel improvements in our understanding of human vision — which will undoubtedly embrace the high standards of quality that Webvision currently enjoys.