Photoreceptors (your rods and cones) are specialized light-detecting cells on the retinas at the back of your eyes. Their name comes from two ancient Greek words that combine to mean “light receivers.”

Rod and cone photoreceptors are found on the outermost layer of the retina; they both have the same basic structure. Closest to the visual field (and farthest from the brain) is the axon terminal, which releases a neurotransmitter called glutamate to bipolar cells .

Oct 9, 2024 · Rods are more abundant in the outer segments of the retina but not in the fovea, the central part of the macula that's dominated by cones for sharper vision. Photoreceptors are a crucial part of vision. Here’s why each photoreceptor …

Feb 6, 2019 · Rods are found around the boundary of the retina, whereas cones are there in the centre of the retina. Out of the 125 million photoreceptors, rods are about 120 million in the human eye and cones are 5 million photoreceptors.

Rod cells are photoreceptor cells in the retina of the eye that can function in lower light better than the other type of visual photoreceptor, cone cells. Rods are usually found concentrated at the outer edges of the retina and are used in peripheral vision.

Jan 6, 2010 · Rods have a protein called rhodopsin and cones have photopsins. But wait...these are stuck in the back of the retina. That means that the light is absorbed closer to the outside of the eye. Aren't these set up backwards? What is going on here? Light moves through the eye and is absorbed by rods and cones at the back of the eye.

Jul 9, 2024 · Rods are predominantly located in the periphery of the retina, thus contributing mainly to peripheral vision. Overall, they significantly outnumber cones by a margin of 20:1, except in the region of the fovea centralis of the retina.

Distribution of rods and cones in the human retina. Graph illustrates that cones are present at a low density throughout the retina, with a sharp peak in the center of the fovea. Conversely, rods are present at high density throughout most of the retina, (more...)

Mar 29, 2025 · These photoreceptors, known as rods and cones, are specialized cells sensitive to light and convert light into nerve signals. Rods allow us to see in low light situations, while cones provide us with color vision in bright light.

Feb 26, 2019 · Rods are located throughout the retina; cones are concentrated in a small central area of the retina called the macula. At the center of the macula is a small depression called the fovea. The fovea contains only cone photoreceptors and is the point in the retina responsible for maximum visual acuity and color vision.