Function

The photoreceptors of the human eye are used to detect incident light. The eye is sensitive to light rays with wavelengths between 400 and 750 nm. This corresponds to the colors from blue to green to red.

Light rays below this spectrum are referred to as ultraviolet and above as infrared. Both are no longer visible to the human eye and can even damage the eye and cause clouding of the lens. The cones are responsible for color vision and need more light to emit signals.

To realize color vision, there are three types of cones, each of which is responsible for a different wavelength of visible light and has its absorption maximum at these wavelengths. The photopigments, the opsins of the cones’ visual dye, therefore differ and form 3 subgroups: the blue cones with an absorption maximum (AM) of 420 nm, the green cones with an AM of 535 nm and the red cones with an AM of 565 nm.If light of this wavelength spectrum hits the receptors, a signal is passed on. Meanwhile, the rods are particularly sensitive to light incidence and therefore serve to detect even very low light, especially in the dark.

Only light and dark are differentiated, but not color. The visual dye of the rod cells, also called rhodopsin, has an absorption maximum at a wavelength of 500 nm. The cones are responsible for color vision and need more light to emit signals.

To realize color vision, there are three types of cones, each of which is responsible for a different wavelength of visible light and has its absorption maximum at these wavelengths. The photopigments, the opsins of the cones’ visual dye, therefore differ and form 3 subgroups: the blue cones with an absorption maximum (AM) of 420 nm, the green cones with an AM of 535 nm and the red cones with an AM of 565 nm. When light of this wavelength spectrum hits the receptors, signal transmission occurs.

Meanwhile, the rods are particularly sensitive to light incidence and therefore serve to detect even very low light, especially in the dark. Only light and dark are differentiated, but not color. The visual dye of the rod cells, also called rhodopsin, has an absorption maximum at a wavelength of 500 nm.

Meanwhile, the rods are particularly sensitive to light incidence and are therefore used to detect even very low light, especially in the dark. Only light and dark are differentiated, but not color. The visual dye of the rod cells, also called rhodopsin, has an absorption maximum at a wavelength of 500 nm.