The transduction of light energy into neural signals that occurs inside the rods and cones of the human eye is best described as a(n) __________ process.
A) mechanistic
B) electrical
C) chemical
D) automatic

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The process of transduction of light energy into neural signals that occurs inside the rods and cones of the human eye involves the activation of rhodopsin, a light-sensitive protein, and the subsequent conversion of this energy into a chemical signal in the form of changes in the concentration of intracellular messengers like cGMP. This implies that the process is best described as a chemical process. Mechanistic and automatic processes do not adequately capture the chemical transformations involved, while electrical processes refer to the transmission of the neural signals from the retina to the brain, rather than their generation.

The Transduction of Light Energy into Neural Signals That Occurs