From Red to Violet: How our eyes spot every colour?

Discover how our eyes and brain work together to see millions of colours (Image: Canva)

Have you ever wondered why the world is full of so many colours? From the bright red of apples to the deep blue of the ocean, our eyes can see millions of shades. Light, eye cells called cones, and the brain team up to make colours come alive.

Everything we see gets its colour from light. Sunlight looks white, but it’s actually made of all colours of the rainbow mixed together. When light hits an object, some colours are absorbed and some are reflected. The reflected light travels to our eyes, which let you perceive the colour of the object. Beacuse of this reason, you see your red apple red and the sky blue.

Inside each eye are special cells called cones. Humans have three types of cones:

1. Red cones detect red light

2. Green cones detect green light

3. Blue cones detect blue light

Red, green and blue are three types of cones that work together. (Image: Canva)

These cones work together to mix colours. This is how our eyes see millions of shades, from gentle pink flowers to bold violet grapes.

Our eyes send colour signals through the optic nerve to the brain. The brain interprets these signals and creates the colours we see. Without the brain, all we see whether its grass, or a rainbow, everything would just be light, but no colour.

Colours aren’t just pretty, they help us in daily life. Bright colours warn us of danger, such as fire, signs or warnings. The colours help find food, whether its ripe fruits or nutritional vegetables.

They also influence our emotions. Some colours make us feel happy, calm or excited. Colours are a guide to creativity, communication, learning and self-expression every day.