With only 3 primary colours, red, blue and green, the human eye can detect 1-10 million colours. Without even realizing what is happening, the retina detects colour with cone cells. L-cones are sensitive to long wavelengths (red). M-cones to medium wavelengths (green), and S-cones to short wavelengths (blue). The brain mixes the signals from the cones which together produce the full color spectrum in our minds.
Normal vision (Trichromatic) consists of 3 types of cones, allowing them to see millions of colours. Colorblind individuals have fewer functioning cone types, reducing colour range. Tetrachromats (rare, mostly women): May have a 4th cone type, potentially perceiving up to 100 million colours!
Between the hue, which is the type of colour, saturation (intensity), and brightness (lightness and darkness); these allow for millions of subtle differences. Based on the short, medium and long wavelengths the eyes detect, they will pick up the reds, blues and greens differently due to their sizes and other factors will determine, if the colour noticed is red, blue, violet or purple.
Amazing, really! Now we know why it is challenging to find the right colour with so many options our eyes are picking up. If you love a colour in your home or wardrobe, but someone else does not enjoy it as much, their eyes see it differently, and this is why soooo many people see green, while someone else sees blue. Glad this can finally settle that old colour debate we had!
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