CANBERRA, June 26 (Xinhua) -- Scientists have revealed the atomic structures of the eye molecules responsible for color vision, solving a decades-old mystery.
Researchers at the Australian National University (ANU) helped interpret the role of the molecules, known as cone opsins, in the eye, with the findings helping explain how some vision disorders arise at the molecular level, according to an ANU statement released on Friday.
"To understand how we detect light and perceive colors, we need to know the exact structure of light-sensitive molecules in our eyes," said ANU Emeritus Professor Trevor Lamb.
"Our perception of color is mainly determined by the relative excitation of red, green, and blue-sensitive cone photoreceptor cells found inside our retinas, that contain these molecules," said Lamb, co-author of the study published in Science.
Humans have three types of cone opsin, each converting red, green or blue light into chemical signals that are transmitted to the brain, enabling color vision, according to the study involving researchers from China, Germany and Australia.
The study found that although all three opsins contain the same vitamin A-derived light-sensitive molecule, retinaldehyde, each binds to it differently, allowing the eye to detect different wavelengths of light.
The findings also revealed fundamental differences in how the red, green and blue cone opsins respond to light, with fast-switching color-detecting molecules thought to help the eye perceive sharp detail and color in motion in daylight. Enditem
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