Final answer:
Color perception is the interpretation process occurring when light hits the retina and is sensed as a specific color by the brain. Cones in the retina are responsible for color vision, and complex systems in the eye and brain work together to perceive constant colors under varying lighting conditions.
Step-by-step explanation:
When light that hits the retina of your eye is interpreted by your brain as red, this process is called color perception. The retina contains photoreceptor cells called rods and cones. Cones are sensitive to light of different colors and allow for color vision. When light enters the eye, it's focused on the retina where rods and cones convert the light into nerve impulses. The signals are then sent to the brain through the optic nerve, which interprets the signals as different colors based on the wavelength of the light. The phenomenon of seeing a red color means that the cones in your retina which respond to red wavelengths are being stimulated and the brain is processing this specific information.
The retinex theory advanced by Edwin Land suggests that the three types of cones are organized into systems which compare images, aiding in color constancy. This neurological process in the eye-brain system compares the surrounding light, allowing for much more complex color perception than initially assumed.