Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

The Retina01:32

The Retina

The retina is a layer of nervous tissue at the back of the eye that transduces light into neural signals. This process, called phototransduction, is carried out by rod and cone photoreceptor cells in the back of the retina.
Color Vision01:24

Color Vision

Color perception begins in the retina, the light-sensitive layer at the back of the eye. Two main theories explain how colors are seen: the trichromatic theory and the opponent-process theory. The trichromatic theory, proposed by Thomas Young in 1802 and extended by Hermann von Helmholtz in 1852, suggests that color vision is based on three types of cone receptors in the retina. These cones are sensitive to different but overlapping ranges of wavelengths corresponding to red, blue, and green.
Anatomy of the Eyeball01:20

Anatomy of the Eyeball

The eye is a spherical, hollow structure composed of three tissue layers. The outer layer — the fibrous tunic, comprises the sclera — a white structure — and the cornea, which is transparent. The sclera encompasses some of the ocular surface, most of which is not visible. However, the 'white of the eye' is distinctively visible in humans compared to other species. The cornea, a clear covering at the front of the eye, enables light penetration. The eye's middle layer, the vascular tunic,...
Photoreceptors and Visual Pathways01:22

Photoreceptors and Visual Pathways

At the molecular level, visual signals trigger transformations in photopigment molecules, resulting in changes in the photoreceptor cell's membrane potential. The photon's energy level is denoted by its wavelength, with each specific wavelength of visible light associated with a distinct color. The spectral range of visible light, classified as electromagnetic radiation, spans from 380 to 720 nm. Electromagnetic radiation wavelengths exceeding 720 nm fall under the infrared category, whereas...
Vision01:24

Vision

Vision is the result of light being detected and transduced into neural signals by the retina of the eye. This information is then further analyzed and interpreted by the brain. First, light enters the front of the eye and is focused by the cornea and lens onto the retina—a thin sheet of neural tissue lining the back of the eye. Because of refraction through the convex lens of the eye, images are projected onto the retina upside-down and reversed.
Visual System01:26

Visual System

Light enters the eye through the cornea, a transparent, dome-shaped surface covering the surface of the eyeball that helps to direct and focus incoming light. This light is then channeled toward the pupil, an adjustable opening whose size is controlled by the iris. The iris, a pigmented muscle, regulates the amount of light entering the eye by contracting or dilating the pupil, thereby ensuring optimal light levels for clear vision.
Once through the pupil, the light passes through the lens, a...

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Functional asymmetry and essential structural roles of PDE6α and PDE6β subunits in rod-photoreceptor integrity.

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·2026
Same author

Chromophore-loaded CRALBP mutant proteins restore rod function in chromophore-deficient mice.

Molecular therapy. Advances·2026
Same author

Retinal cell types: Rod and cone photoreceptors.

Handbook of clinical neurology·2026
Same author

Protein Inhibitor of Retinal Membrane Guanylyl Cyclase Rescues Mouse Rod Photoreceptors from <i>GUCY2D</i> Retinal Dystrophy.

The Journal of neuroscience : the official journal of the Society for Neuroscience·2026
Same author

Rhodopsin molecular evolution from mouse to human phenylalanine 88 to leucine substitution enhances thermal stability and post-activation decay.

Scientific reports·2026
Same author

Insights into rhodopsin molecular evolution from mice with "humanized" Phe-88 to Leu substitution.

Research square·2025
Same journal

Visual arrestin-1: how did we learn what we know today about this protein?

Progress in retinal and eye research·2026
Same journal

Transcending genome-wide association studies to create useful multi-omic views of glaucoma.

Progress in retinal and eye research·2026
Same journal

Cutting-edge cross-linking biomaterials advancing ophthalmic therapeutics.

Progress in retinal and eye research·2026
Same journal

Scleral remodeling in myopia: mechanisms and therapeutic approaches.

Progress in retinal and eye research·2026
Same journal

Macular fibrosis secondary to neovascular age-related macular degeneration: from clinic to biology.

Progress in retinal and eye research·2026
Same journal

Stromal Transplantation and corneal-sparing techniques in ectatic diseases.

Progress in retinal and eye research·2026
See all related articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 6, 2026

Cone-Enriched Cultures from the Retina of Chicken Embryos to Study Rod to Cone Cellular Interactions
08:04

Cone-Enriched Cultures from the Retina of Chicken Embryos to Study Rod to Cone Cellular Interactions

Published on: March 20, 2021

The cone-specific visual cycle.

Jin-Shan Wang1, Vladimir J Kefalov

  • 1Department of Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA. wangj@vision.wustl.edu

Progress in Retinal and Eye Research
|November 30, 2010
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

A novel retina visual cycle, independent of the retinal pigment epithelium, rapidly recycles chromophore via Müller cells. This cone-specific pathway is crucial for daytime vision and adaptation to bright light.

More Related Videos

Imaging Ca2+ Dynamics in Cone Photoreceptor Axon Terminals of the Mouse Retina
09:05

Imaging Ca2+ Dynamics in Cone Photoreceptor Axon Terminals of the Mouse Retina

Published on: May 6, 2015

Transretinal ERG Recordings from Mouse Retina: Rod and Cone Photoresponses
08:38

Transretinal ERG Recordings from Mouse Retina: Rod and Cone Photoresponses

Published on: March 14, 2012

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jun 6, 2026

Cone-Enriched Cultures from the Retina of Chicken Embryos to Study Rod to Cone Cellular Interactions
08:04

Cone-Enriched Cultures from the Retina of Chicken Embryos to Study Rod to Cone Cellular Interactions

Published on: March 20, 2021

Imaging Ca2+ Dynamics in Cone Photoreceptor Axon Terminals of the Mouse Retina
09:05

Imaging Ca2+ Dynamics in Cone Photoreceptor Axon Terminals of the Mouse Retina

Published on: May 6, 2015

Transretinal ERG Recordings from Mouse Retina: Rod and Cone Photoresponses
08:38

Transretinal ERG Recordings from Mouse Retina: Rod and Cone Photoresponses

Published on: March 14, 2012

Area of Science:

  • Vision science
  • Photoreceptor physiology
  • Biochemistry

Background:

  • Cone photoreceptors require rapid chromophore recycling for daytime vision.
  • The canonical visual cycle in the retinal pigment epithelium has limitations for cones.
  • A cone-specific retina visual cycle has been hypothesized but lacked physiological evidence.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review the evidence for a cone-specific retina visual cycle.
  • To highlight the role of Müller cells in this pathway.
  • To emphasize the physiological importance of this cycle for cone function.

Main Methods:

  • Review of biochemical and physiological studies on chromophore recycling in cone-dominant animals.
  • Analysis of evidence for a Müller cell-mediated visual cycle.
  • Examination of evolutionary conservation of the retina visual cycle.

Main Results:

  • The retina visual cycle utilizes Müller cells to supply chromophore selectively to cones.
  • This pathway is independent of the retinal pigment epithelium.
  • It enhances cone dynamic range and accelerates dark adaptation.

Conclusions:

  • The retina visual cycle is physiologically relevant and essential for cone function under bright light.
  • This pathway is conserved across diverse species, highlighting its evolutionary importance.
  • Müller cells play a critical role in cone chromophore supply and pigment regeneration.