Why is peripheral vision especially sensitive to moving objects?

Peripheral vision is especially sensitive to moving objects because the peripheral retina is specialized to detect gross features and motion, which often serve as critical signals of potential danger. This sensitivity is rooted in the anatomical and functional organization of the retina.1

While the central fovea is dedicated to high-resolution color and pattern vision, the peripheral zone contains a higher concentration of rods, which are highly sensitive to light and motion. Furthermore, the center-periphery organization of retinal ganglion cell receptive fields is designed to filter out uniform illumination and instead respond strongly to changes in the visual field, such as the movement of a light or dark spot.1234

Functionally, specific types of ganglion cells support this process:
* Y-cells have large peripheral fields and respond to fast movement.5
* W-cells also possess large peripheral fields and are sensitive to directional movement.5

This peripheral sensitivity triggers a reflex that turns the eyes toward the stimulus, projecting the image onto the fovea for detailed recognition.1