Naked Science Forum

Life Sciences => Physiology & Medicine => Topic started by: purply on 28/06/2009 19:39:08

Title: Why do my eyes adjust to the dark quickly?
Post by: purply on 28/06/2009 19:39:08: Hi,

I was just wondering why my eyes adjust to the dark quicker than other people that I know. My eyes adjust to the dark almost straight away whereas it takes other people I know several minutes before their eyes begin to adjust to the dark & by that time my eyes are quite well adjusted.

Thanks,

purply
Title: Why do my eyes adjust to the dark quickly?
Post by: JnA on 29/06/2009 07:22:22: How have you tested this?
Title: Why do my eyes adjust to the dark quickly?
Post by: Karen W. on 29/06/2009 07:40:26: iT TAKES MINE 10 MINUTES OR SO AND THEN i AM STILL PRETTY BLIND IN THE DARK BUT WE REALLY DO NOT HAVE MUCH LIGHT HERE AT NIGHT SO IT IS REALLY PITCH BLACK. Not much here for light pollution and then when what light we do have in the distance fails... WOW.. Its impossible to see!

Maybe you have better vision to begin with some of us already have poor vision and when the lights go down it becomes even worse!
Title: Why do my eyes adjust to the dark quickly?
Post by: purply on 29/06/2009 19:35:55: Hey :)

Thanks JnA & Karen for your replies.

It's just an observation noticed by my bf & family members. Walking out of house at night my eyes adjust instantly & their eyes take a while to adjust to quote them "I rely on you, because at the moment I'm blind". I live in the country (so does bf) no street lights or anything fancy like that!! It's also noticable when walking out of the country pub at night from light into the dark.

I have short-sighted vision (since I was around 11) & have to wear glasses all the time but my night-time sight has always been good & better than others that I know.

I was just curious as to why, that's all.

purply
Title: Why do my eyes adjust to the dark quickly?
Post by: JnA on 30/06/2009 01:40:35: How well do your eyes adjust to the light?

Perhaps you can just fire up the rods better. This uses rhodopsin, which is derived from vitamin A..
Title: Why do my eyes adjust to the dark quickly?
Post by: purply on 30/06/2009 18:28:15: Hey JnA,

My eyes can adjust to the light equally as well as adjusting to the dark.

That's interesting about rods :)
Title: Why do my eyes adjust to the dark quickly?
Post by: Karen W. on 30/06/2009 23:47:44: Yes it is!

Thats cool that your eyes adjust so quickly.. I have a real hard time in the dark even after adjustment...
Title: Why do my eyes adjust to the dark quickly?
Post by: turnipsock on 30/06/2009 23:53:05: I have one eye that can see better in the dark than the other. One eye is like an infra red camera and sees really well in the dark, but it's only b&w. The other eye sees in colour, but I can't pick out the toilet when I am doing a wee.