These three receptor complexes are the red-green complex, the blue-yellow complex, and the black-white complex.
Current research suggests that the true pairings for these receptor complexes are actually blue-yellow, red-cyan, and green-magenta.
This explains why you could’t see yellowish-blue or reddish-green.
Juliet White / Getty Images
Opponent process theory suggests that vision functions through a series of excitatory and inhibitory responses.
This article discusses this theory, how it works, and its role in our current understanding of vision.
These are then combined into other colors to create a visible spectrum.
For example, while we often see greenish-blue or blueish-reds, we do not see reddish-green or yellowish-blue.
When this cell is activated, it tells the brain that you are seeing red.
These two types of cells in a red-green receptor complex can’t be activated at the same time.
Example of Opponent Process Theory
The opponent process theory helps explain the perceptual phenomena of negative afterimages.
it’s possible for you to see this effect in action by trying out the following demonstration.
So, how does opponent process theory explain afterimages?
When the white and red receptor cells briefly de-activate, the opposing black and green cells fire in response.
Modern Explanations: Complementary Color Theory
Current research has updated this explanation slightly.
It seems the green receptor cells do not activate because the red cells become inhibited.
In fact, the afterimage seems to be generated in the brain’s cortex, not the retina.
According to the complementary color theory, each receptor pairing registers complementary colorsthere is no white/black pairing.
When complementary colors are added together, they make white.
The green cells, however, hadn’t been suppressed and could send full-strength signals.
White “minus” red is green, hence why you saw a flash of green.
Which Color Vision Theory Is Correct?
Frequently Asked Questions
Opponent process theory helps explain aspects of color vision.
The activation of one throw in of cone cell leads to the inhibition of the other two.
This opponent process is thought to be responsible for our perception of color and explains why people experience afterimages.
Opponent process theory was introduced by the physiologist Ewald Herin in the late 1800s.
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