I have always been interested in the eyes of a feline. They are very similar to the human eye, they operate the same way, and also possess the same type of photoreceptors on the retina (rods and cones). There's a few differences that makes the cat's eye so much more superior than ours at night: They have a higher concentration of rods, along with a layer of tissue called the tapetum lucidum, that reflects light back into the retina. This allows their eyes to be much more sensitive to light. Then there's that very recognizable "slit-like" pupil, that is extremely important with controlling the amount light that is allowed. This is achieved with two shutter-like ciliary muscles in each eye, compared to only one in ours. Imagine having the ability to see 80% better at night.
Camera: Nikon D50
Lens: Nikkor 50mm F16/1.4
Exposure: 1/125sec at F1.6
ISO: 800
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![Nocturnal Eyes [#106] - Click for previous](/images/photoblog/dave105.jpg)