Search research articles

ABOUT JoVE

Overview Leadership Blog JoVE Help Center

AUTHORS

Publishing Process Editorial Board Scope & Policies Peer Review FAQ Submit

LIBRARIANS

Testimonials Subscriptions Access Resources Library Advisory Board FAQ

RESEARCH

JoVE Journal Methods Collections JoVE Encyclopedia of Experiments Archive

EDUCATION

JoVE Core JoVE Business JoVE Science Education JoVE Lab Manual Faculty Resource Center Faculty Site

Terms & Conditions of Use

Related Concept Videos

Visual System

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...

Visual Agnosia

Visual Agnosia

Visual agnosia is a condition characterized by the inability to recognize visually presented objects despite having normal vision. For instance, a person with visual agnosia can describe the shape and color of an object but cannot identify or name it. This impairment does not affect their visual field, acuity, color vision, brightness discrimination, language, or memory. An example of this condition in a social setting is someone at a dinner party asking for "that silver thing with a round...

Photoreceptors and Visual Pathways

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,...

Vision

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.

Communication

Communication

Communication between two animals occurs when one animal transmits an information signal that causes a change in the animal that receives the information. Organisms communicate with one another in a host of different ways. Signals can be auditory, chemical, visual, tactile, or a combination of these. Communication is a critical behavioral adaptation that promotes survival, growth, and reproduction.

What is a Sensory System?

What is a Sensory System?

Sensory systems detect stimuli—such as light and sound waves—and transduce them into neural signals that can be interpreted by the nervous system. In addition to external stimuli detected by the senses, some sensory systems detect internal stimuli—such as the proprioceptors in muscles and tendons that send feedback about limb position.

You might also read

Related Articles

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

Sort by

Same author

Sphingolipid regulation by yeast Mdm1 supports adaptive remodeling of the methionine transporter Mup1.

Molecular biology of the cell·2026

Same author

Neutral Sphingomyelinase-2 Restrains TAZ to Suppress Breast Tumor Growth.

bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology·2026

Same author

Sphingolipid regulation by yeast Mdm1 supports adaptive remodeling of the methionine transporter Mup1.

bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology·2026

Same author

Diet-induced phospholipid remodeling dictates ferroptosis sensitivity and tumorigenesis in the pancreas.

Cancer discovery·2026

Same author

Metabolic plasticity of sphingolipids governs cancer cell fitness in acidic tumor ecosystems.

bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology·2026

Same author

An integrative approach to studying sphingolipid metabolism reveals p53 as a master regulator of the pathway.

Journal of lipid research·2026

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Feb 4, 2026

Saturated Fatty Acids Induce Ceramide-associated Macrophage Cell Death

Saturated Fatty Acids Induce Ceramide-associated Macrophage Cell Death

Published on: October 31, 2017

Visualizing bioactive ceramides.

Daniel Canals¹, Silvia Salamone¹, Yusuf A Hannun¹

¹Department of Medicine, Stony Brook University, New York, USA; Stony Brook Cancer Center, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York, USA.

Chemistry and Physics of Lipids

|September 30, 2018

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Ceramides are bioactive molecules involved in many cellular processes. Identifying ceramide-binding proteins can help visualize specific ceramide pools, advancing cancer therapy and disease research.

More Related Videos

Formulation and Characterization of Bioactive Agent Containing Nanodisks

Formulation and Characterization of Bioactive Agent Containing Nanodisks

Published on: March 17, 2023

Quantification of Violacein in Chromobacterium violaceum and Its Inhibition by Bioactive Compounds

Quantification of Violacein in Chromobacterium violaceum and Its Inhibition by Bioactive Compounds

Published on: August 8, 2025

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Feb 4, 2026

Saturated Fatty Acids Induce Ceramide-associated Macrophage Cell Death

Saturated Fatty Acids Induce Ceramide-associated Macrophage Cell Death

Published on: October 31, 2017

Formulation and Characterization of Bioactive Agent Containing Nanodisks

Formulation and Characterization of Bioactive Agent Containing Nanodisks

Published on: March 17, 2023

Quantification of Violacein in Chromobacterium violaceum and Its Inhibition by Bioactive Compounds

Quantification of Violacein in Chromobacterium violaceum and Its Inhibition by Bioactive Compounds

Published on: August 8, 2025

Area of Science:

Cell Biology
Biochemistry
Molecular Medicine

Background:

Ceramides are recognized as bioactive molecules regulating numerous cellular processes.
Their metabolizing enzymes are key targets for cancer therapy and other diseases.
The precise molecular mechanisms of cellular ceramides remain incompletely understood.

Purpose of the Study:

To review and consolidate current knowledge on ceramide-binding proteins.
To explore the potential of these proteins as tools for visualizing bioactive ceramides.
To encourage further research into ceramide-protein interactions and visualization techniques.

Main Methods:

Literature review of studies on ceramide-binding proteins.
Analysis of methods for detecting and localizing ceramides within cells.
Discussion of emerging techniques for visualizing bioactive ceramide pools.

Main Results:

Traditional methods fail to distinguish specific bioactive ceramide species at the subcellular level.
Certain ceramide-binding proteins translocate to ceramide-enriched membranes, indicating localized bioactive ceramides.
The 'Many Ceramides' hypothesis suggests distinct subcellular pools of ceramides with defined bioactivity.

Conclusions:

Ceramide-binding proteins offer a promising avenue for visualizing specific bioactive ceramide pools.
Further refinement of ceramide-binding protein identification and characterization is needed.
Developing tools to visualize 'Many Ceramides' can significantly advance understanding of their roles in health and disease.