Rhodopsin

3 definitions found

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Rhodopsin \Rho*dop"sin\ (r[-o]*d[o^]p"s[i^]n), n. [Gr. "ro`don
     rose + "w`ps eye.] (Physiol.)
     The visual purple. See under {Visual}.
     [1913 Webster]

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:



  Visual \Vis"u*al\, a. [L. visualis, from visus a seeing, sight:
     cf. F. visuel. See {Vision}.]
     1. Of or pertaining to sight; used in sight; serving as the
        instrument of seeing; as, the visual nerve.
        [1913 Webster]
  
              The air,
              Nowhere so clear, sharpened his visual ray.
                                                    --Milton.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     2. That can be seen; visible. [R.]
        [1913 Webster]
  
     {Visual angle}. (Opt.) See under {Angle}.
  
     {Visual cone} (Persp.), a cone whose vertex is at the point
        of sight, or the eye.
  
     {Visual plane}, any plane passing through the point of sight.
        
  
     {Visual point}, the point at which the visual rays unite; the
        position of the eye.
  
     {Visual purple} (Physiol.), a photochemical substance, of a
        purplish red color, contained in the retina of human eyes
        and in the eyes of most animals. It is quickly bleached by
        light, passing through the colors, red, orange, and
        yellow, and then disappearing. Also called {rhodopsin},
        and {vision purple}. See {Optography}.
  
     {Visual ray}, a line from the eye, or point of sight.
  
     {Visual white} (Physiol.), the final product in the action of
        light on visual purple. It is reconverted into visual
        purple by the regenerating action of the choroidal
        epithelium.
  
     {Visual yellow} (Physiol.), a product intermediate between
        visual purple and visual white, formed in the
        photochemical action of light on visual purple.
        [1913 Webster]

From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  rhodopsin
       n : a red photopigment in the retinal rods of vertebrates;
           dissociates into retinene by light [syn: {visual purple},
            {retinal purple}]