{"id":20299,"date":"2026-04-20T02:55:48","date_gmt":"2026-04-20T06:55:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ecoportal.net\/en\/?p=20299"},"modified":"2026-04-17T09:03:38","modified_gmt":"2026-04-17T13:03:38","slug":"insect-sees-a-color-your-eyes-can-not","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ecoportal.net\/en\/insect-sees-a-color-your-eyes-can-not\/20299\/","title":{"rendered":"This insect can see a color your eyes will never detect and now scientists want to use it to help us live longer"},"content":{"rendered":"

The idea that a color or light can be invisible yet detectable<\/strong> seems like a contradiction.<\/p>\n

Yet the latest research indicates this is not only possible, but proven.<\/p>\n

And the discovery has far-reaching beneficial health applications, crossing the border between insect and human<\/strong> life.<\/p>\n

How would you imagine the day-to-day workings of the eye of a dragonfly could one day lead to a medical revelation that extends people’s lives?<\/p>\n

Dragonflies and humans: What we have in common<\/h2>\n

Despite the immense differences in biology and physiology, there are some overlaps between humans and insects<\/strong>. And medical researchers want to tap into that.<\/p>\n

It’s now known that dragonflies and humans share a fundamental biological foundation for vision.<\/p>\n

But the dragonfly can zone in on a “hidden” spectrum<\/strong> that we may one day understand, but never perceive. <\/p>\n

The main similarity between dragonflies and us is the reliance on opsins. These specialized proteins react to light and prompt the brain to interpret the color.<\/p>\n

But this is where the dragonfly levels up.<\/p>\n

Humans can detect a spectrum of blue, green, and red light. But these insects draw on a far more complex ability that pushes the boundaries of the visible spectrum<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Humans can get by with “basic” three-color vision. But what do dragonflies have that fortifies them with “super-vision” perception?<\/p>\n

Beyond the human rainbow: The dragonfly\u2019s hidden edge<\/h2>\n

A dragonfly’s enhanced vision is by no means a minor adaptation; it’s a specialized perception<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

The unique opsin proteins in a dragonfly’s eye absorb light at wavelengths of around 580 nanometers. They can perceive shades of light on the edges of the spectrum, way beyond our capacity.<\/p>\n

To humans, this color of light may as well be nonexistent<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

But the dragonfly wouldn’t be able to navigate its environment without it.<\/p>\n

One of the features that makes dragonfly visual pigments remarkable is “bistability.” This means they can switch between states when exposed to different shades of light<\/strong>. <\/p>\n

This ability facilitates the extreme speed and responsiveness needed for high-velocity flight. It also enables tracking of prey against complex backgrounds like water and the detection of subtle movements of predators.<\/p>\n

When it comes to red sensitivity, dragonflies possess a highly sensitive red opsin. They can see “deeper” into the red spectrum<\/strong>, nearing the infrared range.<\/p>\n

A feat impossible for the human eye.<\/p>\n

This is according to the study, “Dragonflies can see a color humans can\u2019t and it could change medicine,” published by the Osaka Metropolitan University in Science Daily<\/em><\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"\"
Compound eyes of the dragonfly<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

How can medical science leverage this insect’s “invisible color” ability for the benefit of our health?<\/p>\n

Precision light: Decoding the future of optogenetic science<\/h2>\n

The deep-red-sensitivity discovery is more than just a biological curiosity<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

It has practical implications for our future and our health<\/a>.<\/p>\n

By studying how these insects process deep-red light<\/strong>, scientists believe we can develop more sophisticated medical tools and imaging sensors. <\/p>\n

But it’s the field of optogenetics that will likely reap the greatest benefits from this research.<\/p>\n

Optogenetics is a cutting-edge biological technique that uses light <\/strong>to control neurons<\/a> in real time.<\/p>\n

Turning neurons into biological “light switches”<\/h3>\n

Researchers can shine a laser or LED onto these cells, which will either activate or silence the neuron instantly.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s a game-changer in medicine<\/strong> because the electrical stimulation currently being used for brain studies has shortcomings. <\/p>\n

But optogenetics provides millisecond precision and high selectivity<\/strong>. <\/p>\n

Imagine new treatments for memory loss<\/a>, Parkinson’s Disease, and blindness.<\/p>\n

As we learn to look to nature for solutions<\/strong>, we move closer to a future where the “limits” of our health are simply solvable problems we haven’t yet shed light on<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The idea that a color or light can be invisible yet detectable seems like a contradiction. Yet the latest research indicates this is not only possible, but proven. And the discovery has far-reaching beneficial health applications, crossing the border between insect and human life. How would you imagine the day-to-day workings of the eye of … Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":16,"featured_media":20300,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"rank_math_focus_keyword":"insect, color","rank_math_title":"","rank_math_description":"A team of researchers from the Osaka Metropolitan University have found a specific insect that is able to see a shade of light and color we could never.","footnotes":""},"categories":[83],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-20299","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-earth"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ecoportal.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20299","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ecoportal.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ecoportal.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ecoportal.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/16"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ecoportal.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=20299"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.ecoportal.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20299\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ecoportal.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/20300"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ecoportal.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=20299"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ecoportal.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=20299"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ecoportal.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=20299"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}