In which part of the retina is visual acuity the lowest?

Visual acuity is highest in the fovea, a small depression in the retina densely packed with cones, the photoreceptor cells responsible for color vision and high-resolution detail. As you move away from the fovea into the peripheral regions of the retina, the density of cones decreases, while the number of rods increases, which are more sensitive to light but do not provide the same level of detail.

The peripheral retina, where visual acuity is the lowest, is optimized for detecting motion and working well in dim light, rather than for sharp visual detail. This anatomical arrangement explains why peripheral vision is less clear than central vision; it is specifically adapted for different types of visual tasks.

In contrast, the optic disc lacks photoreceptors entirely, resulting in a blind spot, while the macula, which surrounds the fovea, also offers fairly good acuity but is not as high as that of the fovea alone. Therefore, considering the distribution of photoreceptors and the design of the retina, the peripheral retina is where visual detail diminishes the most, leading to the conclusion that here lies the area of the lowest visual acuity.