dark adaptation
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dark adaptation
n.
The physical and chemical adjustments of the eye, including dilation of the pupil and increased activity of rods in the retina, that make vision possible in relative darkness.
dark′-a·dapt′ v.
dark′-a·dapt′ed (-ə-dăp′tĭd) adj.
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
dark′ adapta`tion
n.
the reflex adjustment of the eye to dim light or darkness, consisting of a dilation of the pupil, an increase in the number of functioning rods, and a decrease in the number of functioning cones.
[1905–10]
dark′-a•dapt`ed, adj.
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| Noun | 1. | dark adaptation - the process of adjusting the eyes to low levels of illumination; cones adapt first; rods continue to adapt for up to four hours adaptation - (physiology) the responsive adjustment of a sense organ (as the eye) to varying conditions (as of light) |
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