a form of written language for blind people, in which characters are represented by patterns of raised dots that are felt with the fingertips. Cone cells, or
cones, are one of three types of
photoreceptor cells in the
retina of
mammalian eyes (e.g. the
human eye). They are responsible for
color vision and function best in relatively bright
light, as opposed to
rod cells, which work better in dim light. Cone cells are densely packed in the
fovea centralis, a 0.3 mm diameter rod-free area with very thin, densely packed cones which quickly reduce in number towards the periphery of the retina. There are about six to seven million cones in a human eye and are most concentrated towards the
macula.
[1] The commonly cited figure of six million cone cells in the human eye was found by Osterberg in 1935
Rod cells are
photoreceptor cells in the
retina of the
eye that can function in less intense
light than the other type of visual photoreceptor,
cone cells. Rods are usually found concentrated at the outer edges of the retina and are used in
peripheral vision. On average, there are approximately 90 million rod cells in the human retina.
[1] Rod cells are more sensitive than cone cells and are almost entirely responsible for night vision. However, rods have little role in
color vision, which is one of the main reasons why colors are much less apparent in darkness.