Opsins: The Key to Sight

Every time we gaze at a sunrise or marvel at a painting a group of small but powerful proteins called opsins are working in the background.

So what are opsins and what do they do?

Opsins are light-sensitive proteins, found in the retina in your eyes. They are at the heart of how we see the world.

When light hits your eyes, it needs to be converted into electric signals for our brains to intrepret as vision. The primary colors are red, green and blue, variations of which create the different colors we see.

Opsins are gatekeepers that detect specific wavelengths of light and convert them into electrical signals so that your brain can "see."

Opsins are found not just in your eyes, but also in your skin and in some cases even your brain. Fish, for example, have opsins in their brains, allowing them to detect light without using their eyes.

Humans have nine opsins. We are begining to learn that perhaps their role is not limited to light but also temperature, sound and chemicals.

Different types of opsins respond to different parts of the light spectrum. Without opsins, our perception of the world would be limited to shades of darkness and light.

In addition to color, opsins also detect the intensity of light.

So depending on what they detect, your body will adjust its biological clock, or circadian rhythm.

This process helps synchronize our internal systems with the external day-night cycle, affecting our sleep patterns, mood, and even metabolism.

Lack of exposure to adequate light, especially sunlight, is easily one of the most important challenges of urban living.

Last evening, I was fortunate to be on a terrace in the evening. The warm glow of the setting sun, made me realize how much we enjoy light.

So where ever you are, go and spend time in the sun. Your opsins will light the way.

Reach out to me on twitter @rbawri Instagram @riteshbawriofficial and YouTube at www.youtube.com/breatheagain