Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 17, 2026

Measurement of Carotenoids in Perifovea using the Macular Pigment Reflectometer
Published on: January 29, 2020
Guest editorial: Notes on the macular pigment
Abstract:
Potential functions of the macular pigment are reviewed. Its role as a protector of the retina in respect of the blue-light hazard, and its relation to the rods and the cones, are examined. It is tentatively suggested that its presence in the human retina originated in the wild as a result of diet and not as a special evolutionary process: the pigment does not appear to be able to offer any significant photic protection, and the effect on chromatic aberration, as recently reported, may be negligible. Its relation to the spectral placing of photopigments is also examined.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
Photoreceptors and Visual Pathways
Anatomy of the Eyeball
Pigmentation
Melanin occurs in two primary forms: eumelanin that provides black and brown pigment and pheomelanin that provides red color. Dark-skinned individuals produce more melanin than those with pale...
The Retina
Changes in Skin Color: Clinical Perspectives
Albinism
Albinism is a genetic disorder that affects (completely or partially) the coloring of skin, hair, and eyes. The defect is primarily...
Focusing of Light in the Eye

