Cone numbers and densities

Study
Age
Total numbers
Peak density (cones/mm2)
Mean density (cones/mm2)
Diameter of S-cone free zone (µm)
Central-peripheral gradient*
Krause (1868)
--
7,000,000
--
--
--
--
Salzer (1880)
--
3,360,000
--
--
--
--
Østerberg (1935)
16
6,400,000
147,300
5,300
--
--
Polyak (1941)
--
>4,000,000
--
--
--
--
Williams et al. (1981a)
--
--
--
--
118
--
Yuodelis & Hendrickson (1986)
37
--
208,203
--
--
--
72
--
119,868
--
--
--
Nork et al. (1990)
--
--
--
--
38
--
Curcio et al. (1990)

44

4,720,000
311,000
4,260
--
83.6
27
--
98,200#
--
--
--
35
4,080,000
120,000
4,760
--
28.05
34
5,290,000
181,800
5,480
--
34.37
35-L+
4,250,000
166,300
3,850
--
51.57
35-R+
4,610,000
190,300
4,160
--
54.01
36
4,610,000
324,100
4,570
--
82.25
32

--

181,100
--
--
--
Curcio et al. (1991)
--
--
--
--
100
--

* Peak density/mean density at eccentricities > 14 mm.

+ Fellow eyes; L - left eye; R - right eye.

# Not measured at foveal center.

Modified and expanded from Curcio et al., 1990, Table 2 by Ted Sharpe.


References

Ahnelt, P.K., Kolb, H. & Pflug, R. (1987). Identification of a subtype of cone photoreceptor, likely to be blue sensitive, in the human retina. Journal of Comparative Neurology 255, 18-34.

Curcio, C.A. & Allen, K.A. (1990). Topography of ganglion cells in human retina. Journal of comparative Neurology 300, 5-25.

Curcio, C.A., Sloan, K.R., Kalina, R.E. & Hendrickson, A.E. (1990). Human photoreceptor topography. Journal of Comparative Neurology 292, 497-523.

Curcio, C.A., Kimberly, A.A., Sloan, K.R., Lerea, C.L., Hurley, J.B., Klock, I.B. & Milam, A.H. (1991). Distribution and morphology of human cone photoreceptors stained with anti-blue opsin. Journal of Comparative Neurology 312, 610-624.

Krause, W. (1868). Über Stäbchen und Zapfen der Retina. Nachr. v. d. K. Gesells. d. Wiss. Göttingen, p. 163.

Nork, T.M., McCormick, S.A., Chao, G.-M. & Odom, J.V. (1990). Distribution of carbonic anhydrase among human photoreceptors. Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science 31, 1451-1458.

Østerberg, G.A. (1935). Topography of the layer of rods and cones in the human retina. Acta Ophthalmologica 13 (Supplement 6) 1-97.

Polyak, S. (1941). The Retina. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.

Salzer, F. (1880). Über die Anzahl der Sehnerverfasern und der Retinazapfen im Auge des Menschen. Sitzungsbericht der K. Akad. d. Wiss., Wien (Vienna), Abth. 3, Mathem.-Naturwiss. Cl., v. 81, fasc. 1, p. 7.

Yuodelis, C. & Hendrickson, A. (1986). A qualitative and quantitative analysis of the human fovea during development. Vision Research 26, 847-855.

Williams, D., MacLeod, D.I.A. & Hayhoe, M. (1981). Punctate sensitivity of the blue sensitive mechanism. Vision Research 21, 1357-1375.