Why do we see colours?

Question

I understand why we see (the light bouncing off object and back to our eyes). But as this light defines the shapes of objects. What tells us what colour these are. And why can't colour blind people and and animals see the same?

I meant it defines it to us. By bouncing back off the object and showing us the shape of the object.

Thanks to everyone for help i chose best answer as it had most info and it was first main answer.

Answer 1

light bouncing back as you put it is all at different wavelengths, different wavelengths have different colours, and different colours reflect light differently thus it moves at different speeds IE different wavelengths thus we see everything in different colours.

As for colour blindness this is to do with cells in the eye, people who are colour blind have cells which do not function correctly and therefore when light of a certain wavelength (colour) hits the back of the eye the cells there cannot register or rather respond to it therefore they do not see that colour.

The reason animals see differently is beacuse they do not have colour cell receptors in their eyes. Colour blind people do have colour receptors in their eyes they just don't react properly to light.

Answer 2

We see colors because the photoreceptor cells in the retinas of our eyes respond to different wavelengths. People who are color blind have some problems with the way those cells behave and the cells in different animals' eyes operate a little differently than humans.

The reason a prism creates a rainbow is because the different wave lengths travel through the glass differently. The spreads out the wavelengths that make up white light so we can see the complete visual spectrum.

Answer 3

what do u mean the light defines the shape of objects? it does not. a box would be a box with or without light. light does not even determine the color of the object, the elements it is made out of do. the elements that something is made of tell us the color.

and color bind people do not see some colors because certain cells in their eyes do not work correctly and dont register some colors. animals simply dont have those cells.

Answer 4

rods and cones in the retina