How many megapixels are there in a cat's eye? - briefly
A cat's eye does not operate in megapixels, but its visual acuity is estimated to be roughly equivalent to 1-2 megapixels in human terms.
How many megapixels are there in a cat's eye? - in detail
The concept of megapixels, commonly used to describe the resolution of digital cameras, does not directly apply to biological systems like a cat's eye. However, to understand the visual acuity of a cat's eye, we can draw analogies to pixel resolution. The feline eye contains a high density of photoreceptor cells, particularly rods, which are responsible for low-light vision and motion detection. Cats have approximately 6 to 8 times more rods than humans, enabling them to see in conditions six times dimmer than what humans require. The retina of a cat contains around 120 million rods and 6 to 8 million cones, the latter being responsible for color vision and detail in brighter light. If we were to compare this to a digital camera, the sheer number of photoreceptors suggests an incredibly high "resolution." However, the quality of vision is not solely determined by the number of photoreceptors but also by the brain's ability to process visual information. Cats have a wider field of view, approximately 200 degrees compared to humans' 180 degrees, and their visual acuity is estimated to be around 20/100 to 20/200, meaning they see at 20 feet what a human with normal vision can see at 100 to 200 feet. This lower acuity is compensated by their superior motion detection and night vision capabilities. While it is impossible to assign a precise megapixel value to a cat's eye, the biological structure and functionality of their vision far exceed the simplistic comparison to digital imaging. The feline eye is a marvel of evolution, optimized for survival rather than pixel-perfect clarity.