Why after we turn off the light we can’t see anything but after a few minutes we can see almost everything?
In: Biology
I see some other answers in here about pupil dilation but that’s actually incorrect. Your pupils react to changes in light almost instantly. The real reason is because of a chemical called rhodopsin. Rhodopsin is a light sensitive pigment in the rods of the retina (the rods are the cells that detect light and dark). Rhodopsin is part of chemical reaction that converts light to electrical signals to send to your brain. When exposed to bright light, the rhodopsin molecules change configuration, which makes them less sensitive to light. Once you turn off the lights, it takes about 30 minutes for the rhodopsin to regenerate again so you can see in low light levels.
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