SkillsUSA Medical Terminology Practice Test

Photoreceptor cells in the retina are the cells that detect light and start vision. The two types that do this are rods and cones. Rods are highly sensitive and work well in low light, giving us peripheral and night vision but not color. Cones require brighter light and provide color vision and sharp detail, with the most important area for high-acuity vision being the central retina (the fovea). The pupil, while essential for regulating how much light enters the eye, is not a photoreceptor. Therefore, the retinal cells that are photoreceptors for vision are rods and cones.