Light must pass through layers of neurons before reaching your eyes' photoreceptors

Anatomy
Light must pass through layers of neurons before reaching your eyes' photoreceptors

The human retina is built 'backward,' requiring light to travel through several layers of neurons and blood vessels before it can reach the light-sensing photoreceptors.

In an architectural quirk of evolution, light must penetrate a 100-micron path of neural tissue before striking the rods and cones at the very back of the eye. To minimize distortion, the eye uses specialized Müller glia cells that act as living fiber-optic cables, guiding photons directly to the sensors with minimal scattering.

There's more to this story — open the app to keep reading.

Continue Reading in App
1 more paragraphs · plus a 2-question quiz
Open in App

Get the full experience

Download Facts A Day