Examples of opsin in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Depending on the opsin, researchers can excite or inhibit neurons by shining light on them, usually via an implanted optical fiber. — Kelly Servick, Science | AAAS, "Controlling monkey brains with light could get easier thanks to open data project," 28 Oct. 2020 But for now, getting an opsin into monkey neurons means infecting the cells with a virus injected through a hole in the skull. — Kelly Servick, Science | AAAS, "Controlling monkey brains with light could get easier thanks to open data project," 28 Oct. 2020 Researchers still need to demonstrate that a virus can safely and reliably endow particular neurons with an opsin gene that sticks around for years. — Kelly Servick, Science | AAAS, "New technologies promise sharper artificial vision for blind people," 31 Oct. 2019 To better understand the mechanics behind the species’ chameleon-esque appearance, Eacock, then a graduate student in Saccheri’s lab, tested caterpillars’ eyes and skin for light-sensitive proteins known as opsins. — Meilan Solly, Smithsonian, "These Caterpillars Can Detect Color Using Their Skin Not Their Eyes," 27 Aug. 2019 Notably, silver spinyfin fish (Diretmus argenteus) turned out to have 38 rod opsin genes. — David Grossman, Popular Mechanics, "Some Fish Can See in Color at 5,000 Feet Below Sea Level," 10 May 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'opsin.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

History and Etymology for opsin

Note: Term introduced by the American physiologist George Wald (1906-97) in "The Chemistry of Rod Vision," Science, vol. 113, issue 2933, March 16, 1951, p. 287: "Rhodopsin and porphyropsin are carotenoid-proteins—proteins bearing carotenoid prosthetic groups to which they owe their color and sensitivity to light. Each of these pigments possesses a single type of prosthetic group. The protein probably varies from one animal to another; it may be called opsin, and named for the animal of origin."

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