3.00 Experiment
1. Where along the retina do we find rods and cones?
The rods and cones are located in the innermost layer of the retina.
2. Which photoreceptors do we use to see color?
We use cones to see color. Cones are responsible for color and sharpness of vision while rods are used for non-color and dim light.
3. Explain why we can visually perceive the item and at the same time not be able to perceive its color.
Since rods are located on the periphery of the retina, they are responsible for peripheral vision. Rods are very sensitive to light and are only connected to one bipolar cell. Even if one rod is activated, the brain perceives all the rods to be activated and does not know where the message came from (since they are all connected to only one bipolar cell). This is why the vision acuity is low. In our peripheral vision, the acuity is low but we are still able to sense something is there.
4. Describe your experience as person B.
At first, it feels like something is there although no details could be made out. It felt as if an object were simply there. As the object moved closer, the approximate size was determined and then the shape. When the object moved even closer, the color was perceived and it was easier to determine the color, the shape, size, and guess what the object was.