title: Chemistry and biology of vision.
abstract: Visual perception in humans occurs through absorption of electromagnetic radiation from 400 to 780 nm by photoreceptors in the retina. A photon of visible light carries a sufficient amount of energy to cause, when absorbed, a cis,trans-geometric isomerization of the 11-cis-retinal chromophore, a vitamin A derivative bound to rhodopsin and cone opsins of retinal photoreceptors. The unique biochemistry of these complexes allows us to reliably and reproducibly collect continuous visual information about our environment. Moreover, other nonconventional retinal opsins such as the circadian rhythm regulator melanopsin also initiate light-activated signaling based on similar photochemistry.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio 44106, USA. kxp65@case.edu
authors.forename: Krzysztof
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Palczewski
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002940:Circadian Rhythm / Q000502:physiology; D055358:Cone Opsins / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D051379:Mice; D017785:Photons; D020419:Photoreceptor Cells, Vertebrate / Q000378:metabolism*; D012172:Retinaldehyde / Q000378:metabolism*; D012243:Rhodopsin / Q000378:metabolism*; D017299:Rod Opsins / Q000378:metabolism; D014785:Vision, Ocular / Q000502:physiology*; D014796:Visual Perception / Q000502:physiology; D000099210:Melanopsin
chemical_list: D055358:Cone Opsins; D012172:Retinaldehyde; D012243:Rhodopsin; D017299:Rod Opsins; D000099210:Melanopsin
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