THE retina has an inverted structure which seems ill-suited to its function: the rod and cone cells, which are sensitive to light, and which convert light energy into electrical impulses, point backwards and are located at the back of the retina, so that light entering the eye has to pass through several layers of irregularly organized cells before it reaches them. The retina also contains nerve fibres which are positioned perpendicular to the path of light entering the eye, and many of the structures in the upper cell layers have a diameter similar to that of the wavelength of visible light…
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