Mechanisms of Visual Excitation and Adaptation

这项提案中描述的研究旨在发现动物是如何能够看到周围环境的。为了看东西，眼睛必须把光转换成电信号，然后再由大脑进行处理。眼睛含有特殊的细胞，称为光感受器，通过在这些特殊的光感受器细胞内产生一种名为IP3的特殊化学物质，将光转换为电信号。IP3可以被认为是光感受器细胞内的一个信号或信使。光感受器细胞还含有能够对IP3做出反应的受体，这些受体被称为IP3受体。眼睛在黑夜和阳光明媚的白天都能对光线做出反应。为了实现这一点，光感受器能够降低和增加IP3受体接收来自IP3的信号的能力。这项研究旨在了解感光细胞如何调节IP3受体对IP3信号的反应能力。从这项研究中获得的信息将帮助我们更好地理解眼睛如何能够有效地对非常广泛的光强度范围内的光做出反应。这一理解有望有助于人工视觉系统的设计，人工视觉系统可以用来帮助人类和机器。

The research described in this proposal is aimed at discovering how animals are able to see their surroundings. In order to see it is necessary for the eye to convert light into an electrical signal that can then be processed by the brain. The eye contains specialized cells, called photoreceptors, which convert light into an electrical signal by producing a special chemical called IP3 inside these special photoreceptor cells. IP3 can be thought of as a signal or a messenger inside of the photoreceptor cell. The photoreceptor cell also contains receivers that can respond to the IP3, and these receivers are called IP3 receptors. The eye is able to respond to light during a dark night as well as a bright sunny day. In order for this to occur the photoreceptor is able to decrease and increase the ability of the IP3 receptor to receive the signal from IP3. The research described in this proposal is aimed at understanding how the photoreceptor cell adjusts the ability of the IP3 receptor to respond to the signal from IP3.The information gained from this research will help us better understand how an eye is able to effectively respond to light over a very wide range of light intensities. This understanding is expected to help in the design of systems for artificial vision, which can be used to aid both man and machine.