Humans, like other primates, see a fineness of detail that eludes other mammals. This capability is used for tasks like reading and recognizing faces. It is lost in leading forms of vision impairment, such as age-related macular degeneration. Investigating it therefore provides insight into the origin of exceptional sensory performance while strengthening the foundation for preserving and restoring sight. This study examines cells that initiate high-acuity vision, the foveal cones, which produce electrical signals from light and send them forward. It reveals that electrical signals also travel effectively in reverse, from the site of transmission to that of production, and how the production of light responses may be independent nonetheless.
Wienbar et al. (Tue,) studied this question.