Question

The cones of the retina A. are responsible for color vision. B. are much more numerous than the rods. C. have red, blue, and green light-sensitive pigments that differ because of small differences in the retinal prosthetic group. D. do not use transducin in signal transduction. E. are betted suited for discerning rapidly changing visual events because a single photon of light generates a stronger current than it does in the rods.

Short answer

A. Cones are responsible for color vision. B. Cones are much more numerous than rods. C. Cones have red, blue, and green light-sensitive pigments that differ because of small differences in the retinal prosthetic group. D. Cones do not use transducin in signal transduction. E. Cones are better suited for discerning rapidly changing visual events because a single photon of light generates a stronger current than it does in the rods. Answer: A, C

Step-by-step solution

Understand the cones of the retina

Cones are photoreceptor cells in the retina of the eye responsible for color vision. They are responsible for high acuity vision and are primarily involved in daytime vision. In contrast, rods are responsible for night vision and detecting light and dark. Cones are classified into three types according to the wavelength they detect: red, green, and blue cones.

Analyze statement A

Cones are responsible for color vision. This statement is correct as cones allow us to detect and differentiate the various colors in our environment. The three types of cones (red, green, and blue) help us to perceive different colors and shades.

Analyze statement B

Cones are much more numerous than rods. This statement is incorrect. Rods are more numerous than cones in the retina (~120 million rods compared to ~6 million cones). Rods are distributed throughout the retina, while cones are concentrated in the central region of the retina called the fovea.

Analyze statement C

Cones have red, blue, and green light-sensitive pigments that differ because of small differences in the retinal prosthetic group. This statement is correct. Each type of cone (red, blue, and green) contains a specific light-sensitive pigment that responds to different wavelengths (colors) of light. These pigments are similar in structure but have small differences that allow them to detect specific colors.

Analyze statement D

Cones do not use transducin in signal transduction. This statement is incorrect. Both rods and cones use transducin, a G-protein, in the phototransduction cascade that helps convert absorbed light into an electrical signal.

Analyze statement E

Cones are better suited for discerning rapidly changing visual events because a single photon of light generates a stronger current than it does in the rods. This statement is incorrect. Rods are more sensitive to light than cones and generate a larger electrical response to a single photon. Cones are responsible for high acuity vision and detecting color, but they require more light to generate a response than rods.

Conclusion

Based on the analysis of the statements, the correct options for this exercise are: A. Cones are responsible for color vision. C. Cones have red, blue, and green light-sensitive pigments that differ because of small differences in the retinal prosthetic group.