Britannica Sources used in this answer

How do rods and cones in the human retina work to produce vision?

Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.

Diagram of a horizontal section of the human eye showing labeled parts including the cornea, iris, lens, retina, sclera, optic nerve, and blood vessels, with internal structures and muscles visible. — human eye A horizontal cross section of the human eye, showing the major parts of the eye, including the protective covering of the cornea over the front of the eye.

In the human retina, rods and cones are specialized photoreceptor cells that work together to produce vision. Rods, which are more numerous and sensitive to low light, are responsible for night vision and detecting shapes and movement. They contain the pigment rhodopsin, which undergoes chemical changes when struck by light, initiating a signal that is relayed to the brain.123

Cones, concentrated in the central retina, are less sensitive to light but are crucial for color vision and perceiving fine detail. There are three types of cones, each sensitive to different wavelengths of light (red, green, and blue). When light stimulates these cones, the pattern of their responses is interpreted by the brain as color. Both rods and cones convert light energy into chemical and electrical signals that are transmitted via the optic nerve to the brain for processing.42516