: any of various colorless proteins that in combination with retinal or a related prosthetic group form a visual pigment (such as rhodopsin) in a reaction reversible by light
Examples of opsin in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
This gene is different from the opsin genes that are found in their eyes.
—
Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 23 Aug. 2023
In a 2018 study, Schweikert and colleagues found the fish sensed light with their skin using a protein called opsin.
—Will Sullivan, Smithsonian Magazine, 24 Aug. 2023
By tracking changes in skin color, the light-sensitive opsins could allow hogfish to fine-tune their color changing to match their surroundings.
—Will Sullivan, Smithsonian Magazine, 24 Aug. 2023
The opsins actually reside in other cells that are located directly beneath them.
—Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 23 Aug. 2023
For animals, normal color vision is mostly determined by genes called visual opsins.
—Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 12 July 2023
The analysis revealed some fish living at great depths have multiple genes for rod opsin.
—Roni Dengler, Discover Magazine, 10 May 2019
Rod cells, by contrast, use rod opsin and are responsible for night vision.
—Roni Dengler, Discover Magazine, 10 May 2019
The genes srg-36 and srg-37 seem to fall into a second class of adaptive genes, including opsin genes and taste receptors...
—Razib Khan, Discover Magazine, 19 Aug. 2011
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Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 23 Aug. 2023
In a 2018 study, Schweikert and colleagues found the fish sensed light with their skin using a protein called opsin.
—Will Sullivan, Smithsonian Magazine, 24 Aug. 2023
By tracking changes in skin color, the light-sensitive opsins could allow hogfish to fine-tune their color changing to match their surroundings.
—Will Sullivan, Smithsonian Magazine, 24 Aug. 2023
The opsins actually reside in other cells that are located directly beneath them.
—Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 23 Aug. 2023
For animals, normal color vision is mostly determined by genes called visual opsins.
—Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 12 July 2023
The analysis revealed some fish living at great depths have multiple genes for rod opsin.
—Roni Dengler, Discover Magazine, 10 May 2019
Rod cells, by contrast, use rod opsin and are responsible for night vision.
—Roni Dengler, Discover Magazine, 10 May 2019
The genes srg-36 and srg-37 seem to fall into a second class of adaptive genes, including opsin genes and taste receptors...
—Razib Khan, Discover Magazine, 19 Aug. 2011
Dictionary Entries Near opsin
Cite this Entry
“Opsin.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/opsin. Accessed 29 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
opsin
noun
op·sin
ˈäp-sən 
: any of various colorless proteins that in combination with retinal or a related prosthetic group form a visual pigment (as rhodopsin) in a reaction which is reversed by light
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