- a red pigment in the rods of the retina in vertebrates. It is dissociated by light into retinene, the light energy being converted into nerve signals, and is re-formed in the darkAlso called: visual purple
See also iodopsin
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026
rho•dop•sin
(rō dop′sin),USA pronunciation n. [Biochem.]
- Biochemistrya bright-red photosensitive pigment found in the rod-shaped cells of the retina of certain fishes and most higher vertebrates: it is broken down by the action of dim light into retinal and opsin. Also called visual purple.
- rhod- + Greek óps(is) sight, vision + -in2 1885–90
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
rhodopsin /rəʊˈdɒpsɪn/ n
'rhodopsin' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):
iodopsin
- opsin
- retinene
- rod
- visual purple
- bacteriorhodopsin
- chromoprotein
- erythropsin
- retinal