Question

There are three different types of cones, each one sensitive to a different color wavelength of light. These cones are designated?

1) red, yellow, and blue.
2) red, blue, and green.
3) red, green, and yellow.
4) yellow, green, and blue.
5) red, yellow, and indigo.

Answer 1

The three different types of cones in the human eye, responsible for color vision, correspond to three primary colors with peaks in sensitivity at specific wavelengths: S cones for blue, M cones for green, and L cones for red.

Step-by-step explanation:

The cones in our eyes that mediate color vision are sensitive to different wavelengths of light. These three types of cones each have maximum sensitivity to different wavelengths, aligning with the three primary colors. Specifically, these are:

• S cones: Sensitive to short wavelengths, with a peak at around 420 nm, often associated with the color blue.
• M cones: Sensitive to medium wavelengths, peaking at around 530 nm, corresponding to green light.
• L cones: Sensitive to long wavelengths, peaking at about 560 nm, associated with red light.

These types of cones work in conjunction to allow us to perceive the broad range of colors that make up our vibrant visual world. For example, yellow is perceived when the red and green cones are activated together in a specific ratio. This trichromatic theory of color vision is the foundation for technologies such as color television, which replicates this process using red, green, and blue lights.