What type of cells are responsible for detecting visual stimuli and making up the retina?

Photoreceptors are the specialized cells in the retina that are directly responsible for detecting visual stimuli. They come in two main types: rods and cones. Rods are sensitive to low light levels and are crucial for night vision, while cones are responsible for color vision and function best in bright light. The combined action of these photoreceptors allows the eye to perceive a wide range of visual information, including color, brightness, and motion.

Retinal ganglion cells, while vital to the processing of visual information, are not the initial detectors of light. Instead, they receive signals from the photoreceptors and transmit that information to the brain. Neurons, in a general sense, make up a large part of the nervous system and include various types, but the specific role of detecting visual stimuli is carried out by photoreceptors. Cones are indeed a type of photoreceptor, but they do not encompass the entire category, which includes both rods and cones. Therefore, the broadest and most accurate answer to the question is photoreceptors.