Anatomy and Physiology of the Visual System: Rod Cell in the Human Eye

Rod Cell in the Human Eye
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The rod cells are found in the eye and they are photo receptors that are specialized for low light conditions. However, they are different from the cones in that they do not have the ability to detect different colors, which means they do not respond to different wavelengths of light(Human Eye: 03: Rod Cell, 2010). The outer region of the rod is closest to the pigmented segment of the retina and is responsible for the absorption of light, while the inner region is closer to the eyeball center and synapsis with the bipolar cell. It is also important to note that, the outer segment of the rod is rod shaped and hence the name; in the case of the cone, the outer segment is cone shaped relative to the name as well. At the inner segment are the synaptic terminals, which synapse with the bipolar cells(Human Eye: 03: Rod Cell, 2010). To communicate, the neurotransmitter glutamate is constantly released at the synaptic terminal, up until a point where the rod cell absorbs a photon, which causes the pause in the release of glutamate. Th...