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Rhodopsin

Rhodopsin is a photochemical pigment located in rod cell vesicles that absorbs light and causes a chemical change, producing a stimulus. In the dark, sodium ions constantly flow into the rod outer segment through non-specific cation channels and are pumped out of the inner segment, maintaining a slight depolarization. When light hits rhodopsin, it breaks down and causes cation channels to close, ceasing the sodium ion flow while pumping continues, leading to rod cell hyperpolarization and signaling to bipolar cells in the retina.

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30 views

Rhodopsin

Rhodopsin is a photochemical pigment located in rod cell vesicles that absorbs light and causes a chemical change, producing a stimulus. In the dark, sodium ions constantly flow into the rod outer segment through non-specific cation channels and are pumped out of the inner segment, maintaining a slight depolarization. When light hits rhodopsin, it breaks down and causes cation channels to close, ceasing the sodium ion flow while pumping continues, leading to rod cell hyperpolarization and signaling to bipolar cells in the retina.

Uploaded by

IAMSANWAR019170
Copyright
© Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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rhodopsin

In rods, a reddish photochemical pigment named


rhodopsin absorbs light, causing a chemical
change and producing a stimuli. This pigment is
located in vesicles in the rods, in the outer seg-
ment of the rod (see right).
Dark
There is a constant flow of Na+ ions into the
outer segment via non specific cation channels.
They move down the conc gradient into the inner
segment, where they are pumped out. However,
the raising potential is raised to around -40mV.
This slight depolarisation causes the release of
a neurotransmitter (glutamate) from the rod
cells, which binds to the bipolar neurone, pre-
venting the action potential spreading. In the
dark, the glutamate is constantly produced.
Light
When light falls upon rhodopsin, it breaks into retinal and opsin. The opsin causes a chain of membrane-
bound reactions which lead to the hydrolysis of a membrane molecule leading to the closure of the cation
channels. The flow of Na+ in ceases, but the Na+ pump out continues; the glutamate production also
ceases. This leads to hyperpolarisation of the bipolar cell with which the rod synapses, causing the open-
ing of cation channels and eventually the depolarisation of neurones of the optic nerve, with an action
potential generated.

The return of retinal and optic to rhodopsin is known as dark adaptation, and the time taken for this to
occur depends upon the intensity of the original light stimuli.

Archy de Berker date:

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