Question

what is the role of the retinal molecule in the process of light stimulated signal transduction in the eye ? explain in a paragraph

Answer 1

Vision is based on the absorption of light by photoreceptor cells in the eye. These cells are sensitive to light in a relatively narrow region of the electromagnetic spectrum.Vertebrates have two kinds of photoreceptor cells, called rods and cones because of their distinctive shapes. Cones function in bright light and are responsible for color vision, whereas rods function in dim light but do not perceive color. A human retina contains about 3 million cones and 100 million rods.

Visual phototransduction is the sensory transduction of the visual system. It is a process by which light is converted into electrical signals in the rod cells, cone cells and photosensitive ganglion cells of the retina of the eye.

Light closes cGMP-gated sodium channels, reducing the influx of both Na+ and Ca2+ ions. Stopping the influx of Na+ ions effectively switches off the dark current. Reducing this dark current causes the photoreceptor to hyperpolarise, which reduces glutamate release which thus reduces the inhibition of retinal nerves, leading to excitation of these nerves. This reduced Ca2+ influx during phototransduction enables deactivation and recovery from phototransduction.