Rods and Cones

Gayet-Primo, et al. The Journal of Neuroscience, 2018.

Rods and cones are the receptors in the retina responsible for your sense of sight. They are the part of the eye responsible for converting the light that enters your eye into electrical signals that can be decoded by the vision-processing center of the brain. Cones are responsible for color vision. Every green mark on this image is a specific ion channel necessary for the function of these cones. The cones marked in magenta are responsible for detecting colors on the spectrum from red to green. The cones marked in blue are responsible for detecting the color blue. Researchers are investigating this ion channel as a potential explanation behind cone-rod dystrophy, an inherited disease that can cause vision loss over time.

About the Author

Michael W. Richardson

Michael W. Richardson is a writer and editor based in Brooklyn, New York, covering topics ranging from the brain and behavior to the environment.