Ace the ABO Ophthalmology Challenge 2026 – See Your Future Shine!

Color vision is primarily the function of cones, which are photoreceptor cells located in the retina of the eye. There are three types of cones, each sensitive to different wavelengths of light corresponding to blue, green, and red colors. When light enters the eye, it is absorbed by these cones, leading to the generation of neural signals that the brain interprets as color.

In contrast, rods are responsible for vision in low-light conditions and are not involved in color discrimination. While the retinal pigment epithelium plays a crucial role in supporting the photoreceptors by helping to absorb excess light and recycle photopigments, it does not directly contribute to color vision. Ganglion cells are involved in processing visual information and transmitting it to the brain, but they do not have a direct role in color perception itself. Thus, cones are essential for the ability to perceive and distinguish different colors, making them the primary contributor to color vision.