Which retina cells are primarily responsible for color vision?

• A. Rods
• B. Ganglion cells
• C. Cones
• D. Bipolar cells

Answer: (C)

Color vision comes from cone photoreceptors in the retina. Cones have photopigments tuned to different wavelengths, and there are three types that respond to short, medium, and long wavelengths (roughly blue, green, and red). The brain combines signals from these cones to produce color. Rods, in contrast, detect light intensity and motion and do not distinguish colors, so they’re not responsible for color vision. The other retina neurons, like bipolar and ganglion cells, pass and process these signals but aren’t the sensors that detect color themselves. The cones are concentrated in the fovea, giving sharp color vision in bright light.