Simulating human cones from mid-mesopic up to high-photopic luminances
Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 12, 2026

Imaging Ca2+ Dynamics in Cone Photoreceptor Axon Terminals of the Mouse Retina
Published on: May 6, 2015
1Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience, Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. j.h.van.hateren@rug.nl
Abstract:
A computational model of human cones for intensities ranging from 1 td up to full bleaching levels is presented. The model conforms well with measurements made in primate horizontal cells, follows Weber's law at high intensities, and performs range compression consistent with what is known of cones in other vertebrates. The model consists entirely of processes with a clear physiological interpretation: pigment bleaching, saturation of cGMP hydrolysis, calcium feedback on cGMP synthesis, and a nonlinear membrane. The model is implemented according to a very fast computational scheme useful for simulations, and sample programs in Matlab and Fortran are provided as supplementary material.
Related Concept Videos
The Retina
Anatomy of the Eyeball
Photoreceptors and Visual Pathways
Color Vision

