Let me rephrase the question – Do we call the Visible Spectrum that because that’s what we can see or is there something different about that part of electromagnetic spectrum (ES) that allow vision to occur. Alternately, If light is dual in nature, being both a wave and a particle, is that the same for other parts of the ES?
Which brings me to the question that I’m most curious about; would it be possible for a creature exist that can see, the same way we see, but using frequencies from other areas of the ES?
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The answer is both simple and complex: we call it the visible spectrum because that’s what we see. Other animals can see further into the ultraviolet or infra red; antennas can induce current from frequencies even further up the spectrum where we wouldn’t be able to sense individual photons of energy as easily.
The wavicle concept of radiation is consistent for the entire EM spectrum however.
As for creatures seeing in other areas of the spectrum: that’s where it gets tricky. Many animals can “see” electrical currents with sensors attuned to other areas of the spectrum: the most notable are sharks. Pigeons can “see” the earth’s electromagnetic field. Even we humans can “see” infra red with the nerves in our skin.
What you’ll notice there is that the physical properties required to sense EM radiation differ up and down the spectrum because of how the different frequencies interact with the very limited set of atoms (and therefore electron shells) that can exist.
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