ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Visual phototransduction

Visual phototransduction is a big word that describes something that happens when we see things with our eyes. You know how your eyes have different parts, like the iris, the lens, and the retina? Well, the retina is the part of your eye that helps you see colors and shapes.

Inside your retina, there are these special cells called "rods" and "cones." These rods and cones are like little machines that help turn the light that comes into your eye into an image that your brain can understand. Think of them like the pixels on a computer screen!

When light enters your eye, it hits your rods and cones and makes them start doing something called "phototransduction." This just means that the light kicks off a chain reaction inside the rods and cones, that eventually reaches your brain and makes you see what you're looking at.

So, let's say you're looking at a cute little puppy. The light from the puppy goes into your eye, hits your rods and cones, and starts the phototransduction process. This process sends signals to your brain that make you see the puppy's brown fur, its wet nose, and the floppy ears on its head.

Overall, phototransduction is a complicated process, but it's what makes it possible for us to see the world around us!