Sensory receptors exhibit specialized sensitivities and transduction mechanisms to detect particular physical stimuli relevant for perception and behavior [1][2][3]. For example, photoreceptors in the retina contain light-sensitive opsins that transduce light energy into electrical signals [3][4][6]. Rod photoreceptors detect dim light while cone photoreceptors enable color vision [4]. In the auditory system, hair cells in…
Senses
Phototransduction
Phototransduction is the process by which light is converted into electrical signals in photoreceptor cells such as rods and cones in the retina. It involves a cascade of biochemical reactions which ultimately lead to hyperpolarization of the photoreceptor cell membrane and a decrease in the release of the neurotransmitter glutamate to bipolar cells [2][4][5]. The…