Document Detail


Dark current and photocurrent in retinal rods.
MedLine Citation:
PMID:  5439318     Owner:  NLM     Status:  MEDLINE    
Abstract/OtherAbstract:
The interstitial voltages, currents, and resistances of the receptor layer of the isolated rat retina have been investigated with arrays of micropipette electrodes inserted under direct visual observation by infrared microscopy. In darkness a steady current flows inward through the plasma membrane of the rod outer segments. It is balanced by equal outward current distributed along the remainder of each rod. Flashes of light produce a photocurrent which transiently reduces the dark current with a waveform resembling the PII and a-wave components of the electroretinogram. The photocurrent is produced by a local action of light within 12 mum of its point of absorption in the outer segments. The quantum current gain of the photocurrent is greater than 10(6). The electrical space constant of rat rods is greater than 25 mum, so that the electrical effects of the photocurrent are large enough at the rod synapses to permit single absorbed photons to be detected by the visual system. The photocurrent is apparently the primary sensory consequence of light absorption by rhodopsin.
Authors:
W A Hagins; R D Penn; S Yoshikami
Related Documents :
21119708 - Integrated analysis of clinical signs and literature data for the diagnosis and therapy...
20383978 - Do horses suffer from irritable bowel syndrome?
6516178 - Some unusual features of mesangioproliferative glomerulonephritis in horses.
22190798 - Parry-romberg syndrome: a rare entity.
18304168 - Bazex-dupré-christol syndrome in a 1-year-old boy and his mother.
9641748 - Optic neuropathy in mccune-albright syndrome: an indication for aggressive treatment.
Publication Detail:
Type:  Journal Article    
Journal Detail:
Title:  Biophysical journal     Volume:  10     ISSN:  0006-3495     ISO Abbreviation:  Biophys. J.     Publication Date:  1970 May 
Date Detail:
Created Date:  1970-06-01     Completed Date:  1970-06-01     Revised Date:  2009-11-18    
Medline Journal Info:
Nlm Unique ID:  0370626     Medline TA:  Biophys J     Country:  UNITED STATES    
Other Details:
Languages:  eng     Pagination:  380-412     Citation Subset:  IM    
Export Citation:
APA/MLA Format     Download EndNote     Download BibTex
MeSH Terms
Descriptor/Qualifier:
Animals
Darkness
Electrophysiology*
Electroretinography
Infrared Rays
Light
Mathematics
Microscopy
Perfusion
Photoreceptor Cells / physiology*
Rats
Comments/Corrections

From MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine


Previous Document:  An assessment of the Azostix strip test.
Next Document:  Ultraviolet inactivation dichroic ratio of oriented fd bacteriophage.