Opsin

Opsins are the universal photoreceptor molecules of all visual systems in the animal kingdom.

They change from a resting state to a signalling state by absorbing light. This activates the G protein, resulting in a signalling cascade which produces physiological responses.

This process of capturing a photon and transforming it into a physiological response is known as phototransduction.

Five groups of opsins are involved in vision. Another opsin found in the mammalian retina, melanopsin, is involved in circadian rhythms and pupillary reflex, but not in image-forming.

Each opsin allows vision in just a short stretch of wavelength. This is equivalent to seeing in only one color. Two opsins allow vision in two colors, and is usual in mammals. Four opsins allows vision in full color, and is usual in teleost fish, reptiles and birds. In mammals, only Old World monkeys, apes and humans have trichromacy, called full color vision.

It is thought – see evolution of color vision – that mammals lost much of their color vision capability during the long period in the Mesozoic when they lived as mostly nocturnal animals.

"...two cone opsin gene families appear in contemporary eutherian mammals and, with the exception of some primates, none of these animals [get] more than a single photopigment type from each of their two gene families".

Opsin Media

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  Three-dimensional structure of cattle rhodopsin. The seven transmembrane domains are shown in varying colors. The chromophore is shown in red.