NPR

Human Retinas Grown In A Dish Reveal Origin Of Color Vision

Our ability to see colors develops in the womb. Now scientists have replicated that process, which could help accelerate efforts to cure colorblindness and lead to new treatments for diseases.
A 291-day-old retina. Our ability to see colors develops in the womb. Now scientists have replicated that process, which could help accelerate efforts to cure colorblindness and lead to new treatments for diseases.

In order to see the red of a sunset or the green of spring leaves, developing human eyes need to get the right hormone at the right time.

That's the finding of a team of scientists who studied how color vision develops using hundreds of human retinas grown in the lab.

The discovery, Thursday in the journal , could help accelerate current efforts to cure colorblindness. It could also lead to new

You’re reading a preview, subscribe to read more.

More from NPR

NPR7 min readWorld
Pro-Palestinian Encampments And Protests Spread On College Campuses Across The U.S.
After dozens of pro-Palestinian protesters were arrested at Columbia, Yale and NYU, students at colleges from Massachusetts to Minnesota to California are erecting encampments in solidarity.
NPR5 min readFinance & Money Management
Housing Experts Say There Just Aren't Enough Homes In The U.S.
The United States is millions of homes short of demand, and lacks enough affordable housing units. And many Americans feel like housing costs are eating up too much of their take-home pay.
NPR2 min read
Read The Last Letters Of George Mallory, Who Died Climbing Mount Everest In 1924
The British explorer died in 1924 during his third trip to Everest, the world's highest point. In one letter to his wife Ruth, he described the expedition's chance of success as "50 to 1 against us."

Related Books & Audiobooks