Scientists uncover molecular secrets of how we see colour
A global research team has identified the atomic structures of cone opsins, the molecules in the human eye responsible for color vision. This discovery explains how these molecules convert light into chemical signals and may help researchers understand vision disorders.
Why it matters
Mapping the molecular basis of human vision is a significant scientific breakthrough that could lead to new treatments for color blindness and other retinal conditions.
Emeritus Professor Trevor Lamb said understanding the structure of cone opsins could help explain how vision disorders arise at a molecular level. Photo: Nic Vevers/ANU. A global team has cracked a decades-old mystery, revealing the atomic structures of the molecules in our eyes that allow us to see colours. “To understand how we detect light and perceive colours, we need to know the exact structure of light-sensitive molecules in our eyes,” said The Australian National University (ANU) researcher Emeritus Professor Trevor Lamb. “Our perception of colour is mainly determined by the relative excitation of red, green, and blue-sensitive cone photoreceptor cells found inside our retinas, that contain these molecules.” Published in Science , the discovery was made by a team of scientists from research institutions in China, Germany and Australia.
The article is a neutral report on scientific research findings.
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