The architecture of light: architectural lighting design concepts and techniques. A textbook of procedures and practices for the architect, interior designer and lighting designer pdfdrive com

Our “R” or Red Cones contain the photopigment “erythrolabe,” which is most sensitive to radiation of wavelength 580 Nanometers. Not surprisingly, this wavelength on its own would elicit the color experience we call “red.”
Our “G” or Green Cones contain “chlorolabe,” which is most sensitive to radiation of wavelength 540 Nanometers.
Our “B” or Blue Cones contain the photopigment “cyanolabe,” which is most sensitive to radiation of wavelength 450 nanometers.
Photopic Color Vision from our Cones
The key to understanding cones and rods is in visualizing how these
photoreceptors work together to transmit information to our brain, where it is then translated into vision.
Figure 6.3 Approximate sensitivities of the three classes of cones.
Figure 6.3 shows the entire spectrum of visible radiation (on its side). You may remember that on the short end of the spectrum (380 Nanometers in wavelength), we have radiation that elicits the color experience “violet.” On the right side of the diagram is the long end of the visible spectrum (radiation of wavelength 780 Nanometers) which is radiation that translates we perceive as the color experience “red.” On the left-hand axis of the chart is a simple measurement of quantity or intensity. The three sensitivity spectrums of the three types of cones are overlaid onto the diagram. As expected, the peak sensitivities of each class coincide with radiation types that deliver the color experience we would expect. The most effective way to visualize the workings of the cones is to picture each class of cones as an individual person or group that casts a vote of intensity based on how much of their favorite radiation they detect.
As an example, if we could isolate a specific wavelength of radiation, in
this case 520 nanometers, we could predict how each class of cones would vote based on where the line of the wavelength intersects each of the three sensitivity curves (see figure 6.4). We see that the Red cones vote 4, the Green cones vote 7, and the Blue cones vote 1. These three votes form the three digit number that is transmitted to the brain for processing; in this case “4-7-1”. The brain translates each unique 3 digit code as a unique experience. To keep them straight, we name the experiences as colors. In the event that our classes of cones all detect the
same quantity of their favorite light, they all vote the same, and the number sent to the brain looks like “3-3-3” or “5-5-5”. In this case, the brain’s translation is a neutral value, some shade of gray or black or white.