Pop Cones

The Science

For many people, sight is the dominant sense through which they perceive the world. The human eye can only see light within what is called ‘the visible spectrum’ - approximately 390 to 700 nm (nanometers). Special cells, called photoreceptors, detect light in our environment and convert it into electric signals that get sent to our brains. There are two types of photoreceptors: rods and cones. Rods allow us to see in low light conditions, while cones are responsible for colour perception and intricate details. Cones are categorized into red, green, and blue, each detecting specific wavelengths of light.

Citation: Molday, R. S., & Moritz, O. L. (2015). Photoreceptors at a glance. Journal of cell science, 128(22), 4039–4045. https://doi.org/10.1242/jcs.175687

Further information: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4712787/ 

The Theme

Colour is the visual perception of light based on the electromagnetic spectrum and is often described in terms of hue, saturation, and value. Inspired by the bold colours of pop art, this piece has been created on an iPad using the Procreate app. It is an ode to the cells in our body that allow us to see colour in the first place: cone cells. On average, people have 6 million cone cells in each retina. While different organisms can collectively perceive millions of colours in the world, we wouldn’t be able to see any of them without these specialised cells.

The Artist

Abbey Morris (she/her) is a Science Communicator. She earned her Master’s of Science Communication from Laurentian University and her BSc in Neuroscience and Mental Health with a minor in Psychology from Carleton University. Abbey is passionate about art, science and social justice; she believes that science communication is the perfect way to bridge these interests. Abbey strives to make SciComm a more equitable, diverse, and inclusive space for people to share their enthusiasm for science in creative and engaging ways.