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Research the Literature on your Own
1. What are the structures of the eyes of octopus and squid (two invertebrates)? How do these eye structures compare to the structures seen among other invertebrates and among vertebrates? How could such structures evolve?
2. Animals are not the only living organisms that detect light. Discuss examples from the bacterial and plant kingdoms of light sensing. What are the photoreceptor molecules in these cases, and how do they change as a result of capturing a photon?
3. Retinitis pigmentosa (RP) refers to a group of inherited disorders in which rod photoreceptors are impaired and ultimately die. What are the causes of RP? What potential therapies are being investigated to treat or prevent it?
4. Signal amplification is not unique to the visual system. Discuss the way in which enzymes act as signal amplifiers in blood clotting. |
