What part of the eye is responsible for color perception?

The part of the eye responsible for color perception is the cones. Cones are photoreceptor cells located in the retina that are sensitive to different wavelengths of light, which correspond to various colors. There are three types of cones, each sensitive to either short, medium, or long wavelengths, allowing humans to perceive a full range of colors through the combination of these responses to light.

In contrast, rods are primarily responsible for vision in low light conditions and do not contribute to color perception; they are more sensitive to light intensity than to color. The iris is the colored part of the eye that controls the size of the pupil and regulates the amount of light entering the eye, but it does not play a role in color detection itself. The lens focuses light onto the retina but is not involved in color differentiation. This makes cones the critical component for detecting color in our visual system.