Access Type
Open Access Thesis
Date of Award
January 2014
Degree Type
Thesis
Degree Name
M.S.
Department
Physics and Astronomy
First Advisor
Xiang-Qiang Chu
Abstract
Rhodopsin is a visual pigment found within the rod photoreceptor cells of the retina. It is a visual protein found within human beings and commonly shared amongst other vertebrate species. The major pigment protein is responsible for converting photons into chemical signals, which stimulates biological processes in the nervous system, and this allows the ability to then sense light [4]. The process of how rhodopsin is activated is believed to be understood with the introduction of a time ordered sequence of intermediate states. However, there are still major gaps and inconsistencies regarding the large-scale conformational changes that follow photoactivation. The purpose of our experimental research is to use small angle neutron and x-ray scattering techniques to illuminate the structural changes and dynamics of rhodopsin that lead to the activation of the photoreceptor, and thus triggering of the amplified visual response.
Recommended Citation
Van Delinder, Kurt William, "The Investigation Of The Molecular Mechanism Of Rhodopsin Activation By Small Angle Neutron Scattering And Small Angle X-Ray Scattering Techniques" (2014). Wayne State University Theses. 434.
https://digitalcommons.wayne.edu/oa_theses/434