[Photochemistry of visual pigments (author's transl)]

Recent studies of the photochemistry of visual pigments are reported. Results obtained on rhodopsine and model compounds, by means of techniques based upon continous or pulsed excitation are compared. The mechanique of the primary photochemical step of the bleaching of rhodopsine is discussed. The process is occuring on a time scale of picosecond and a new concept of proton transfer followed by a conformation charge is opposed to the classical cis-trans photo isomerisation of the retinal moiety. The origin of the electrical response of the photoreceptor cells is still controversial.