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Color Vision

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Color perception begins in the retina, the light-sensitive layer at the back of the eye. Two main theories explain how colors are seen: the trichromatic theory and the opponent-process theory. The trichromatic theory, proposed by Thomas Young in 1802 and extended by Hermann von Helmholtz in 1852, suggests that color vision is based on three types of cone receptors in the retina. These cones are sensitive to different but overlapping ranges of wavelengths corresponding to red, blue, and green.

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 28, 2026

The Gateway to the Brain: Dissecting the Primate Eye

The Gateway to the Brain: Dissecting the Primate Eye

Published on: May 27, 2009

Primate color vision: a comparative perspective.

Gerald H Jacobs¹

¹Department of Psychology, Neuroscience Research Institute, University of California, Santa Barbara, California 93106, USA. jacobs@psych.ucsb.edu

Visual Neuroscience

|November 6, 2008

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Studies on primate color vision have advanced significantly, particularly by examining natural variations in nonhuman primates. This research links opsin genes, cone photopigments, and neural organization to understand color vision and its evolution.

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Area of Science:

Primate Vision Research
Evolutionary Biology
Genetics

Background:

Historically, primate color vision knowledge relied on human studies and macaque physiology.
Significant progress has been made in understanding this complex visual trait over the past three decades.

Purpose of the Study:

To detail advancements in understanding primate color vision.
To highlight the value of studying natural variations in nonhuman primate color vision.
To explore the links between genetic factors and visual perception.

Main Methods:

Comparative analysis of color vision across diverse primate species.
Investigation of naturally occurring variations in visual perception.
Examination of the relationship between opsin genes and cone photopigments.

Main Results:

Naturally occurring variations in nonhuman primate color vision offer crucial insights.
Understanding of interrelationships between opsin genes, photopigments, and neural organization has expanded.
Valuable data on the evolution of primate color vision has been generated.

Conclusions:

Studying diverse primate species has been key to advancing color vision research.
This research illuminates the genetic and neural underpinnings of color vision.
The findings contribute significantly to our understanding of visual evolution in primates.