Fiber optics elements coupled to photosensitive elements are broadly distributed in the animal kingdom. What is their primary (common) role? It is argued that photoreceptors collect energy falling on them and transport it to an oriented photolabile pigment. All fiber optics elements have a limiting aperture and, hence, are directionally transmitting and directionally sensitive. For these detector elements to act efficiently, they must be oriented so that they optimally absorb light passing through the center of the source of the relevant visual stimulus or signal— the eye pupil. By that means the fiber optics element aids in limiting stray light “noise.” Laties has demonstrated histologically that vertebrate retinal receptors are oriented towards an anterior point in the eye. This phenomenon is present in eyes with mixed rod-cone populations, as well as in eyes categorized as essentially pure rod or pure cone. This important finding may be independently validated psychophysically by assuming that the peak of the photopic Stiles-Crawford function identifies the central orientational tendency of cones located in the retinal area tested. Predictions may be made for the locus of that peak in the entrance pupil of the eye for various orientational tendencies. By testing the Stiles-Crawford function at a number of different retinal points, orientational properties of human photoreceptors may be defined. The resultant data indicated that the retinal receptors were oriented towards the center of the exit pupil of the eye. This confirmed the findings of Laties, and identified the anterior point “D” towards which the receptors are directed. Thus, the raison d'etre for receptor fiber optics properties is greatly clarified, and a major organizational property of the retina confirmed. The fascinating questions of how that orientation is established and maintained and the effects of disruption in that organization are considered. Added evidence is presented for the establishment of anterior-pointing of retinal receptors prior to birth (hatching). Lastly, a relationship between anterior pointing photoreceptors and associated tapetal backreflecting plates in the shark eye is demonstrated.