Do humans possess the ability to perceive ultraviolet light? Ultraviolet (UV) light consists of exceptionally short and energetic wavelengths, even shorter than violet on the visible spectrum. But can the human eye detect UV light?
The capability to perceive UV light varies depending on age and the presence of UV-filtering lenses in the eyes, experts suggest. The retina, located at the back of the eye, contains photoreceptors that detect light and transmit signals to the brain for interpretation as color.
While our blue-detecting cones can pick up some UV light, the lens of the eye typically filters out most UV wavelengths to protect against eye damage. However, younger individuals often possess the ability to perceive certain amounts of UV light, as demonstrated in a 2018 study where college-aged participants reported seeing UV light at around 315 nanometers. This ability tends to diminish with age, typically declining around the age of 30.
Some individuals, such as those who underwent cataract surgery without lens replacement, or those born without a lens, can perceive a broader range of the UV light spectrum. For instance, impressionist painter Claude Monet, following cataract surgery, observed more blue and purple tones in water lilies and reflected this in his later paintings.
While most adults lack the ability to see UV light, many animals possess this capability throughout their lives. Various mammals, including dogs, cats, ferrets, and reindeer, as well as numerous invertebrates, fish, birds, reptiles, and amphibians, can perceive UV light. This ability aids them in enhancing contrast for object detection in their environment.
UV light serves multiple purposes in the animal kingdom, including aiding sea creatures in spotting prey silhouettes, assisting insects in sensing patterns on flowers, and enabling birds to signal each other via plumage colors and locate ripe berries.
Evidence suggests that the vertebrate ancestor possessed the ability to see UV light, but over evolutionary time, this capability shifted toward detecting violet rather than ultraviolet wavelengths in humans. This shift may have been driven by factors such as the need to protect against eye damage or to maintain clearer vision, considering humans’ longer lifespan.