develops from retinal rod cell ZFA:0009275 BTO:0001024 rod retinal rod cell Retinal rod cells, often referred to simply as "rod cells”, are a specialized type of photoreceptor cells found in the retina. Their primary function is to detect and convert light into electrochemical signals, which are then transmitted to the brain via nerve impulses. Compared to other types of photoreceptor cells, namely retinal cone cells, rod cells are more sensitive to light, and thus play a crucial role in night and peripheral vision. Rod cells are named for their long, cylindrical shape, which is distinct from the cone-like shape of retinal cone cells. The structure of a rod cell is complex, with different sections responsible for various aspects of its function. The outer segment contains densely packed, light-sensitive membrane discs filled with a pigment called rhodopsin. When light hits rhodopsin, it prompts a chemical reaction that leads to the generation of electrochemical signals. These signals are processed in the cell's inner segment, which contains the cell's primary organelles, including the nucleus and mitochondria, and transmitted through the cell's synaptic terminal to the secondary neurons in the retina. Rod cells are distributed across the majority of the retina, with the highest density found in the peripheral edges. This distribution, coupled with their high sensitivity to light, explains why rod cells contribute significantly to peripheral and low-light vision. However, they do not pick up color and have low spatial acuity, which means that while rod cells can detect the presence of light and movement, the finer details and colors of an image are processed mainly by cone cells. Together, rod cells and cone cells work in concert to enable a wide range of visual capabilities, making vision a complex and intricate biological process. (This extended description was generated by ChatGPT and reviewed by the CellGuide team, who added references, and by the CL editors, who approved it for inclusion in CL. It may contain information that applies only to some subtypes and species, and so should not be considered definitional.) https://cellxgene.cziscience.com/cellguide/CL_0000604 One of the two photoreceptor cell types of the vertebrate retina. In rods the photopigment is in stacks of membranous disks separate from the outer cell membrane. Rods are more sensitive to light than cones, but rod mediated vision has less spatial and temporal resolution than cone vision. FMA:67747 CALOHA:TS-0870 retinal progenitor cell camera-type eye photoreceptor cell