In this post, I want to show more of the science behind how we interpret the light and color that we see. When it comes to visual perception, the rods and cones, which are the photoreceptors in the retina, are responsible for detecting light. This is done through the use of light sensitive pigments. Each pigment is made up of a protein called opsin, which can be either a rod opsin or a cone opsin.
The rods are mainly used for dim light while the cones are for bright light vision. The cones are further divided into three groups depending on the wavelength that they absorb: short wavelength cones are for blue, middle wavelength cones are for green, and long wavelength cones are for red. Cones play a large role when it comes to light and dark adaptation. A very dark room will not stimulate the cones in your retina, causing a long period of time for your eyes to adjust to the light and eventually being able to make out details. When the eye is exposed to a brightly lit area, the cones' visual threshold increases relative to the light source. As this happens, the cones are less stimulated and the eyes are able to make out details.
All of this information from the retina is sent through the optic nerve to the brain, almost acting like the film in a camera.
