When you enter a darkened theatre, it takes a while before you can see your surroundings clearly. The most likely explanation for this phenomenon is that
A) the lens needs time to accommodate to the change in lighting.
B) the glutamate in rods has been depleted and more must be synthesized.
C) the visual system switches slowly between processing inputs from cones to inputs from rods.
D) it takes about 30 minutes for rhodopsin to regenerate after it has broken apart in response to light.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

When light enters the eye, it breaks up rhodopsin in the rods, which is necessary for vision in low light conditions. Regeneration of rhodopsin takes about 30 minutes, during which time the eyes have difficulty adjusting to low levels of light. This is known as the dark adaptation process, which explains why it takes a while before we can see clearly in a darkened theatre.

When You Enter a Darkened Theatre, It Takes a While