Approximately how many cone photoreceptors are in the human eye?

Approximately how many cone photoreceptors are in the human eye?

• A. 12 million
• B. 60 million
• C. 6 million
• D. 120 million

Answer: (C)

Cones are the photoreceptors responsible for color vision and high-acuity detail, and they are far fewer in number than rods. In the human retina there are about 6 million cone photoreceptors, with their highest density in the fovea where vision is sharpest. This is why the cone count is much smaller than the rod count (roughly 120 million rods) and why some answer choices are much larger or smaller than the true figure. So, the approximate number of cone photoreceptors is about 6 million.

Cones are the photoreceptors responsible for color vision and high-acuity detail, and they are far fewer in number than rods. In the human retina there are about 6 million cone photoreceptors, with their highest density in the fovea where vision is sharpest. This is why the cone count is much smaller than the rod count (roughly 120 million rods) and why some answer choices are much larger or smaller than the true figure. So, the approximate number of cone photoreceptors is about 6 million.