Talk:Retinal
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Retinal also means "of, or pertaining to, the retina" – Can this be made into a disambiguation page? Morganfitzp 15:01, 8 May 2006 (UTC)
- Not a good idea; it would be like making a disambig on neural, which can mean "of, or pertaining to, the neuron". Anyway, I just started the retinal article, feel free to contribute. --Sadi Carnot 14:53, 16 September 2006 (UTC)
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[edit] "Light" Symbol in Figure
The symbol in your figure and caption looks like a "gamma" to me. In chemistry, "light" (UV to visible to IR) is frequently indicated by "h nu" (Planck's constant h, Greek nu). Or sometimes a squiggly thunderbolt symbol, if you have one. I'm not sure what gamma symbolizes except maybe gamma radiation. Gamma rays are used to induce some reactions, e.g., reactions in crystals.
This is a "gamma": γ . This is a "nu": ν . Let there be light, hν , over your arrow and in your caption. —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 129.64.51.50 (talk) 20:51, 6 December 2006 (UTC).
[edit] Conjugated instead of unsaturated
Hi.Perhaps Conjugated system would be more appropriate than unsaturated.Dogchaser 09:23, 19 February 2007 (UTC)
[edit] Purple Earth
I’m not sure how to fit this theory in. See:
- Than, Ker (2007-04-10). Early Earth Was Purple, Study Suggests. LiveScience.com. Retrieved on 2007-04-16.
- Anitei, Stefan. "Early Earth Was Purple!", Softpedia, 2007-04-11. Retrieved on 2007-04-16.
- Rio S. (2007-04-11). Purple was the old green... early Earth dominated by purple microbes. QJ.NET. Retrieved on 2007-04-16.
—LOL 00:11, 16 April 2007 (UTC)
- The use of retinal by archaea is worth mentioning, if it isn't mentioned already. The Purple Earth hypothesis is far too far removed from the retinal molecule to be included in the same article. If a Purple Earth article is created (and I may if I get time) it would link here when mentioning retinal. Robert Brockway 07:23, 8 May 2007 (UTC)
[edit] Photon Absorption
In the overview section, "...the retinal molecule absorbs a photon into one of the pi bonds found between the eleventh and twelfth carbon atoms..." sounds bizarre. As far as I know, photons generally interact with an entire molecule and not with single bonds, even if the only change is seen in a single bond. Would it perhaps be more accurate to say something like "The incident photon induces a state change in a retinal molecule, causing the pi bond between carbons 11 and 12 to change conformation"? I don't think that really changes the accessibility of the article but avoids technical errors JaredAllred (talk) 17:34, 13 January 2008 (UTC)
[edit] Action potential generation
This article describes the vertebrate photocycle, which is fine, but then implies that photoreceptor cells generate "electrical impulses," which includes a link to the "electricity" page. This is very misleading. Vertebrate photoreceptors are NOT neurons, they are cells that release vesicles in response to graded changes in membrane potential. The photoreceptors synapse onto actual neurons, including retinal ganglion cells, which send action potentials (I think we should call them that, not vague "electrical impulses") through the optic nerve. In invertebrates (e.g. insects), the situation is different, but in that case the invertebrate photocycle should be described. 72.43.122.81 (talk) 22:43, 20 January 2008 (UTC)
