This information
may be used to help those with visual impairment, or be used to create motors
that respond to light (34), and can initiate an action in resopnse, whic
has potential nontechnolgy applications. It can also be used to explain various
unusual phenomena, such as dark noise in the eye.
Mutations in both the opsin and the retinals (due to genetic
mutations in single proteins) have been determined to be causes of retinitis
pigmentosa, which results in the degeneration of photoreceptors (22).
The role of the Schiff base in absorption spectra has
been studied, and if the wavelength of a molecule can be tweaked to absorb
in the radiowave range, the molecule could be used to coat aircraft for anti-radar
purposes (32).
|