What is the term for the eye's ability to increase refractive power to maintain a clear image as objects move closer?

The term that accurately describes the eye's ability to increase its refractive power in order to maintain a clear image of objects as they move closer is accommodation. This process involves the ciliary muscles, which change the shape of the lens to allow for focus on near objects. When an object moves closer, the eye automatically accommodates by making the lens thicker, increasing its refractive power. This ensures that the light rays entering the eye converge correctly on the retina, allowing for a sharp image.

Refraction, while related to the bending of light as it passes through different media, does not specifically refer to the adjustments made by the eye for focusing on close objects. Convergence refers to the inward movement of the eyes as they focus on a closer object, helping to create single binocular vision but is not directly linked to the refractive power of the lens. Projection, in an ophthalmic context, generally relates to the display of images and is not applicable in describing the focusing mechanism of the eye.