Biomaterial Database

Intracellular topography of rhodopsin bleaching. 1987

C L Makino, and L N Howard, and T P Williams

Institute of Molecular Biophysics, Florida State University, Tallahassee 32306.

In a vertebrate eye, the photoreceptor cells are aligned so that most of the light passes through them lengthwise. At the light-transducing outer segment region of the photoreceptor, photons are absorbed in a time-varying, spatially dependent fashion. Because the transduction event is spatially localized around the site of photon absorption, the spatiotemporal patterns of light absorption in outer segments are an important receiver input characteristic. This aspect of receptor biophysics has now been measured; the results were consistent with a theoretical model proposed for bleaching of a pigment in an unstirred layer.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D008027	Light	That portion of the electromagnetic spectrum in the visible, ultraviolet, and infrared range.	Light, Visible,Photoradiation,Radiation, Visible,Visible Radiation,Photoradiations,Radiations, Visible,Visible Light,Visible Radiations
D008954	Models, Biological	Theoretical representations that simulate the behavior or activity of biological processes or diseases. For disease models in living animals, DISEASE MODELS, ANIMAL is available. Biological models include the use of mathematical equations, computers, and other electronic equipment.	Biological Model,Biological Models,Model, Biological,Models, Biologic,Biologic Model,Biologic Models,Model, Biologic
D003624	Darkness	The absence of light.	Darknesses
D000818	Animals	Unicellular or multicellular, heterotrophic organisms, that have sensation and the power of voluntary movement. Under the older five kingdom paradigm, Animalia was one of the kingdoms. Under the modern three domain model, Animalia represents one of the many groups in the domain EUKARYOTA.	Animal,Metazoa,Animalia
D012168	Retinal Pigments	Photosensitive protein complexes of varied light absorption properties which are expressed in the PHOTORECEPTOR CELLS. They are OPSINS conjugated with VITAMIN A-based chromophores. Chromophores capture photons of light, leading to the activation of opsins and a biochemical cascade that ultimately excites the photoreceptor cells.	Retinal Photoreceptor Pigment,Retinal Pigment,Visual Pigment,Visual Pigments,Retinal Photoreceptor Pigments,Photoreceptor Pigment, Retinal,Photoreceptor Pigments, Retinal,Pigment, Retinal,Pigment, Retinal Photoreceptor,Pigment, Visual,Pigments, Retinal,Pigments, Retinal Photoreceptor,Pigments, Visual
D012243	Rhodopsin	A purplish-red, light-sensitive pigment found in RETINAL ROD CELLS of most vertebrates. It is a complex consisting of a molecule of ROD OPSIN and a molecule of 11-cis retinal (RETINALDEHYDE). Rhodopsin exhibits peak absorption wavelength at about 500 nm.	Visual Purple
D012374	Rod Cell Outer Segment	The portion of a retinal rod cell situated between the ROD INNER SEGMENT and the RETINAL PIGMENT EPITHELIUM. It contains a stack of photosensitive disk membranes laden with RHODOPSIN.	Rod Outer Segment,Rod Outer Segments,Outer Segment, Rod,Outer Segments, Rod
D013053	Spectrophotometry	The art or process of comparing photometrically the relative intensities of the light in different parts of the spectrum.