Which retinal cell type is primarily responsible for vision in low light conditions?

The retinal cell type primarily responsible for vision in low light conditions is rods. Rods are photoreceptors that are highly sensitive to light, enabling them to function effectively in dim lighting. They contain a photopigment called rhodopsin, which allows them to detect even very small amounts of light. This characteristic makes rods essential for night vision and peripheral vision, as they are predominantly located in the peripheral regions of the retina.

In contrast, cones are another type of photoreceptor, but they are responsible for color vision and function best in bright light. Bipolar cells are intermediary neurons that transmit signals from photoreceptors (both rods and cones) to ganglion cells, which then send the visual information to the brain. However, they do not directly participate in the detection of light themselves. Ganglion cells are involved in processing and transmitting visual information but do not detect light; they receive input from rods and cones and then communicate this information to the brain.