What is a characteristic of the image in the retina compared to the object viewed?

The image formed on the retina is characterized by being smaller and inverted compared to the object that is being viewed. This phenomenon occurs because of the optical properties of the eye, where light rays pass through the cornea and lens, which converge the light onto the retina.

As objects are much larger than the retina itself, the image projected on the retina is a scaled-down version of the actual object, resulting in a smaller image. Additionally, the optics of the eye cause the image to be flipped upside down (inverted). This is a crucial aspect of how our visual system processes images; the brain interprets the inverted signals and adjusts our perception so that we see the world right-side up.

The characteristics provided in other options do not accurately reflect the properties of the retinal image. Understanding this inversion and reduction in size is fundamental in grasping basic optics in physiology, especially in relation to human vision.