Clue to Treatments for Blindness in Chickens’ Eyesight


Results that have been published in the latest edition of the journal PLoS One determine how chickens, along with other birds, can in fact see better colours than humans. The colour receptors within the chickens’ eyes appear to be more advanced than that of mammals and scientists believe this has something to do with the evolution process. Due to many mammals being nocturnal during evolution their colour receptors didn’t evolve as well as the birds that spent most of their time in the daylight.

The research was carried out at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis and involved an in-depth investigation into the difference between the cones and rods in the retina of both mammal and chicken eyes. In humans the retina has cones that are sensitive to green, red and blue wavelengths whereas avian retinas are sensitive to not only these wavelengths but violet wavelengths, including ultraviolet ones and even receptors that can detect motion. This motion detecting receptor is formed from a double cone which is therefore specialised for its purpose. Overall, the difference does appear to stem from the evolution process as daytime and nighttime visions differ completely. Due to mammals nocturnal behaviour previously their eyes have developed more rods than cones as rods are relied on during night vision. Thus, birds have more cones (which help with daytime vision) than mammals, allowing them improved eyesight in comparison.

Scientists believe that further investigations into this distinguished difference between birds and mammals eyesight’s could lead to effective treatments for many genetic disorders within humans that can lead to impaired vision and even blindness. Therefore, the development of an understanding of the receptor organisation within the chickens’ retina could help with repairing genetic disorders within human retinas.

12th February 2010

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