Seeing “Backwards”

Did you know that your eye is wired backwards?

Yes, the wiring faces toward the incoming light, while the photoreceptors face the back of the retina. When light enters the eye and falls on the retina (back of the eye), it goes through 10 layers at the back of the retina for the photocells to be activated. Atheists cite this as “evidence” that God does not exist due to poor design. The evidence suggests otherwise, as photocells are highly active and need a continual feeding of blood-rich nutrients.

This blood-rich lake lies behind the photoreceptors. If the photoreceptors faced forward, this lake of blood would be in front of the photocells, and we would be looking through lots of blood. The photocells are one of the most active areas in our bodies and need to be replenished every 7 days. The macrophages act as garbage collectors cleaning burned up debris, operating within the pooled blood.  If they were in front of the photoreceptors, it would be impossible to see clearly. 

So how does light get to the backward-facing receptors? Muller cells in the front of the retina collect and funnel the light to the photoreceptors. Muller cells work like fiber optics, only better—they cover the entire surface of the retina, collecting and funneling the maximum amount of light to the photoreceptors.

What appears at first glance to be a “bad design” is in reality a superb “God design”. The backwards wiring of the eye allows a rich supply of blood for the receptors, while the Muller cells with their “fiber optics” move light to the photoreceptors. 

(Source: Inspired Evidence- David Menton, The Hearing Ear and Seeing Eye DVD)