What is rod-cone dystrophy?
There are two kinds of cells in the back of the eye called rods and cones. They gather vision information from the light that comes into the eye through the pupil. The cones are in the center of the back of the eye. They gather information about details and color. They work best in bright light. (It may help you remember to think of “cones” and “color” both starting with “c.”) The rods are all around the rest of the back of the eye. They gather information about things that move and things that are on the sides, above and below the person. They work best in dim light. People who have rod-cone dystrophy lose the use of the rods and cones. What causes rod-cone dystrophy? There are many different kinds of rod-cone dystrophy. Some of them are inherited. That means that a baby is born with a rod-cone dystrophy, even if it does not show up at first. When people have a baby, the baby’s body has many things that the parents’ bodies have. For example, a mother may have curly hair, and her baby
