Rod+Cells+-+BR

=Introduction= Whoosh the ball was fired by number seven, the goalie dives and smacks it to the side! Then he grabs it and chucks it to his teammate, his teammate settles it and dribbles towards the other goalie and then he chips it to his teammate. His teammate volleys it into the goal and scores! The crowd goes wild everyone cheer for the team who scored. Everyone has vision and needs it to do everyday task, you need rod cells to help you play sports. Rods help you see light so you can block the ball and shoot the ball at a angle to score. If we didn’t have any rod cells we wouldn’t be able to see just like how our eyes and feet so important so then we can see the the ball and kick it.

toc =Description of Cell= All cells come in different shapes and sizes especially specialized cells which are cells who have more or less parts to do their jobs. The rod cell is a type of eye cell that is also known as photosensitive cells. Where the rod cell is located in the retina which is in the back of the eye. There are about 130 million rod cells located in the back of the eye that absorb all the light particles. They are most concentrated and focused in dim light because they have to detect and collect even the smallest unit of light (“The Rod and Cones”). Rod cells are used to collect light which help us see. It adapts to the amount of light, so when there is a small amount of light the iris widens and tries to let in more light. One of the most import things about how we see is the steps of how your eyes work. =Function= Our eyes have a specific order for us to see they don’t just work without a order, if our eyes didn’t have a order it wouldn’t be organized and we wouldn’t be able to see. Our eyes work is first an object reflects off something and hits your eye. Then all the light enters the cornea since the rod cells pull it towards the eye. Next the cornea helps focus the light through a small hole called the pupil. After the light enters the pupil it hits the rod cells, the image is transferred through the rods cells into the retina and to the optic nerve. Meanwhile the brain waits for the image to be transferred to the brain (“Eyes”). On the other hand the most important part of the cell is the where it gets it’s energy.

**Structure of the Cell** This cell is very special, it helps you see light and it has special parts to help themselves see things. Since rod cells have more space the hold mitochondria the have 4 or 5 times more energy than an average cell (Miller and Levine page. 107). So they must have to release that energy eventually, and they use it to collect the light particles while we are awake. What helps them collect the light is a chemical called rhodopsin. The rhodopsin is located on the tip of the rod cell where there are small membranes stacked on top of each other. The rod cell is one of the photoreceptive cells. There are two types of photoreceptive cells the rod and the cone cell. The other photoreceptive cell is the cone cell. Which helps us see color but we won’t be talking about that. One part of the cell called the synaptic terminal which helps the rod cell stay connected with the retina so they can do their jobs. There are diseases that can kill or damage your eye cells or even eliminate.

=Real World Connections= Even though the rod cells can operate normally at times but there are threats that can endanger the rod cells and cone cells. One of the diseases is probably the most common disease known as color blindness. What color blindness is, it makes you see different colors that average humans. Color blindness is usually transferred by birth, if your parents have it you have a chance to have it. Color blindness happens when your eyes are working correctly and they fail to see. Another disease for your eye is called black eye. Black eye is when you damage your eye or around the eye. When the eye gets damage the rod cells can get damaged too and it can affect your ableness to see light in the dark. Another disease is amblyopia also known as lazy eye, it can make one of two of your eyes fail to do their job. Lazy eye can be treated at a young age if it’s properly treated (“Chudler”).

=Conclusion= In conclusion rods cells help you see light, but it’s only one of the smallest cells that support your body and help you function. Rod cells are just like the technology in a camera, without the inside of the camera it’s just useless and it’s a complete waste. The rod cells are amazingly useful and the can do one thing but if you use all your cells you can accomplish almost anything you put your brain cells to it. Rod cells are so small the are about 2 microns wide and 100 micron long, this show how it is small but it can do big things like helping us see light.

=media type="youtube" key="jnTLcj6BDKE" width="283" height="161"= =References=

Chudler, Eric. “Neuroscience For Kids.” Neuroscience For Kids, 2015, faculty.washington.edu/chudler/retina.html. Accessed 30 Jan. 2017. “The Eye.” The Primary Visual Pathway, web.csulb.edu/~cwallis/482/visualsystem/eye.html. Accessed 2 Feb. 2017. “Eyes.” BrainPOP, 2017, www.brainpop.com/health/bodysystems/eyes/. Accessed 30 Jan. 2017. Heiting, Gary, editor. “Eye Health Guide.” Eye Problems and Diseases, 23 Dec. 2016, www.allaboutvision.com/conditions/. Accessed 30 Jan. 2017. “The Human Eye - Rods & Cones Cells.” YouTube, uploaded by Muhammad Umar, 9 Feb. 2014, www.youtube.com/watch?v=jnTLcj6BDKE. Accessed 2 Feb. 2017. Miller, Kenneth R., and Joseph S. Levine. Biology. 4th ed., Englewood Cliffs, Prentice Hall, 1998. “Natural Eye Care.” Natural Eye Care, 2017, www.naturaleyecare.com/eye-conditions/rod-cone-dystrophy/. Accessed 30 Jan. 2017. Padilla, Michael J., et al. Prentice Hall Science Explorer. Boston, Pearson Prentice Hall, 2007.