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Related Concept Videos

Channel Rhodopsins01:11

Channel Rhodopsins

Most organisms use photoreceptors to sense and respond to light. Examples of photoreceptors include bacteriorhodopsins and bacteriophytochromes in some bacteria, phytochromes in plants, and rhodopsins in the photoreceptor cells of the vertebral retina. The light-sensitive property of these receptors is because of the bound chromophores, such as bilin in the phytochromes and retinal in the rhodopsins.
Rhodopsins belong to the family of cell surface proteins called G-protein coupled receptors,...
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...
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,...
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.
G-Protein Gated Ion Channels01:21

G-Protein Gated Ion Channels

GPCRs are primarily responsible for our sense of smell, taste, and vision.  The binding of a sensory stimulus activates GPCR to stimulate effector proteins, many of which are ion channels in the sensory organs. GPCRs modulate the opening and closing of the target ion channels either directly by binding them, or by releasing second messengers that activate these channels. As ions move across the membrane, the membrane potential is altered, which induces an appropriate response.
Sensory organs,...
Unrenewable Cells00:50

Unrenewable Cells

In humans, the photoreceptor cells of the eye and sensory hair cells of the ear lack stem cells. These cells are thus unrenewable and cannot be replaced when they are damaged or destroyed.
Photoreceptors
The retina is composed of several layers and contains specialized cells called photoreceptors. The photoreceptors (rods and cones) change their membrane potential when stimulated by light energy. There are two types of photoreceptors—rods and cones—which differ in the shape of their outer...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 11, 2026

Determination of Photoreceptor Cell Spectral Sensitivity in an Insect Model from In Vivo Intracellular Recordings
08:33

Determination of Photoreceptor Cell Spectral Sensitivity in an Insect Model from In Vivo Intracellular Recordings

Published on: February 26, 2016

C-opsin expressing photoreceptors in echinoderms.

Esther M Ullrich-Lüter1, Salvatore D'Aniello, Maria I Arnone

  • 1Universität Bonn, Institut für Evolutionsbiologie und Ökologie, An der Immenburg 1, 53121 Bonn, Germany.

Integrative and Comparative Biology
|May 14, 2013
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Marine deuterostomes possess c-opsin photopigments, aiding the study of photoreceptor cell evolution before vertebrate eyes. These findings reveal novel PRC locations and associations with calcite skeletons in echinoderms.

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Whole-cell Patch-clamp Recordings for Electrophysiological Determination of Ion Selectivity in Channelrhodopsins
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Last Updated: May 11, 2026

Determination of Photoreceptor Cell Spectral Sensitivity in an Insect Model from In Vivo Intracellular Recordings
08:33

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Published on: February 26, 2016

A Bioinformatics Pipeline for Investigating Molecular Evolution and Gene Expression using RNA-seq
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Whole-cell Patch-clamp Recordings for Electrophysiological Determination of Ion Selectivity in Channelrhodopsins
08:39

Whole-cell Patch-clamp Recordings for Electrophysiological Determination of Ion Selectivity in Channelrhodopsins

Published on: May 22, 2017

Area of Science:

  • Evolutionary biology
  • Molecular biology
  • Marine biology

Background:

  • Advancements in molecular analysis and genome sequencing allow investigation of previously inaccessible organisms.
  • Understanding the evolution of photoreceptor cells (PRCs) in marine non-chordate deuterostomes is crucial for bridging knowledge gaps before vertebrate eye emergence.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the evolution of deuterostome PRCs.
  • To identify and characterize c-opsin photopigments in marine invertebrates.
  • To explore the association of PRCs with the calcite skeleton in echinoderms.

Main Methods:

  • Phylogenetic analysis of c-opsin photopigments.
  • Immunohistochemistry using an antibody against sea urchin c-opsin (Sp-Opsin1).
  • Microscopic examination of PRC structural characteristics in echinoderms.

Main Results:

  • Evidence for c-opsin photopigment expression closely related to chordate visual c-opsins was found.
  • Sp-Opsin1 recognized epitopes in various echinoderm tissues, with specific localization in sea urchin tube feet, spines, pedicellaria, and epidermis.
  • In brittlestars and starfish, immunoreaction was exclusively in spine cells, near nerve strands and associated with the calcite skeleton.

Conclusions:

  • The study provides insights into the evolution of photoreceptors in echinoderms and deuterostomes.
  • The findings highlight a potential role for the calcite skeleton in echinoderm photobiology.
  • Characterization of c-opsin+ PRCs in marine invertebrates expands our understanding of early visual system evolution.