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when you go from a bright light environment to a dark environment, you have a slow sensitivity to low light levels. this is called

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Final answer:

Dark adaptation is the process by which your eyes adjust to see in low light conditions after leaving a brighter environment, primarily involving the photoreceptors called rods. It takes about 15 minutes and can be affected by night blindness.

Step-by-step explanation:

Dark adaptation is the process that occurs when you move from a brightly lit environment to a dark one and your eyes gradually adjust to see in the lower light levels. This process can take approximately 15 minutes and involves the dilation of the pupils and the adjustment of the photoreceptors in your eyes, specifically the rods, which are more sensitive to low light than the cones. Cones dominate in bright light, whereas rods dominate in the dark, but there is a delay as the rods need time to become more effective at transforming light into nerve impulses. Inadequate rod function can lead to a condition known as night blindness.

While sensory adaptation usually refers to the decreased sensitivity to an unchanging stimulus, dark adaptation is a dynamic process where your sensitivity to light increases in darkness. If this adaptation process is hampered, it can affect someone's ability to see in dimly lit conditions, thereby impacting activities that rely on low-light vision.

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