How do the lens and retina of the human eye function together?

The lens and retina work together in a highly coordinated process to enable vision. The lens is responsible for focusing incoming light onto the retina, which is the light-sensitive layer at the back of the eye. When light enters the eye, it passes through the cornea and then through the lens, which adjusts its shape to focus the light properly on the retina, depending on whether the object being viewed is near or far.

Once the light is focused on the retina, photoreceptor cells known as rods and cones convert the light into electrical signals. This process is known as phototransduction. The resulting neural signals are then sent to the brain via the optic nerve, where they are interpreted as visual images.

This interaction highlights the distinct but complementary roles of the lens and retina in vision: the lens manipulates the physical properties of light, while the retina translates these physical stimuli into a form that the brain can understand. This is why the first choice accurately describes their functions. The other options misattribute roles or introduce concepts, such as sound, which are not relevant to how the eye processes visual information.