Abstract

Analysis of spectral response peaks shows that receptor curves can hardly be deduced by psychophysics or nerve physiology. Conversely, however, even the two known dyes may suffice for all the spectral response peaks, narrow or wide. The detailed structure of the receptor is basis for a masking mechanism which accounts for 3 absorptions, peaked near 510, 540, and 620 mμ. From these, synaptic mechanisms can produce 4 color primaries at the bipolar level, and 6 selectivities at the fiber level. The synaptic detail for this (based on Polyak, Willmer, Müller, and Adams) separates white, and provides for dichromasies, unitary hues, saturation, and nonlinearity of color-limens.

By such mechanism, color antagonists may be transmitted by simple modulation of a mean frequency. Transmission has only a transient appearance, due to a series of electrochemical counter-effects which give minimal signal for steady-state information. Amacrine cells and retinal polarizations apparently relate to this, and thereby constancy and lateral induction of black and hue. Acuity in continuous illumination, in a system which transmits mainly transients, is handled by a scanning system. Other counterparts to color television are discussed.

© 1951 Optical Society of America

Recent Concepts of Retinal Color Mechanism.*† I. Contributions from Psychophysics

S. A. Talbot
J. Opt. Soc. Am. 41(12) 895-918 (1951)

Neurobiological hypothesis of color appearance and hue perception

Brian P. Schmidt, Maureen Neitz, and Jay Neitz
J. Opt. Soc. Am. A 31(4) A195-A207 (2014)

The Retinal Mechanism of Color Reception

Ragnar Granit
J. Opt. Soc. Am. 31(9) 570-580 (1941)

Vision and Resolution in the Central Retina*†

Brian O’Brien
J. Opt. Soc. Am. 41(12) 882-894 (1951)

Optical and Photoelectric Analog of the Eye

Otto H. Schade
J. Opt. Soc. Am. 46(9) 721-739 (1956)