Question

In animals the sensory capabilities evolved over hundreds of millions of years. It is therefore not surprising that different sensory aspects use similar transduction mechanisms. In terms of transduction (i.e., the way energy or chemicals are sensed and transduced into an electrical signal), which distinct human sensory systems use the same molecular mechanisms? Please list two pairs of systems and explain the similarity. ****Please leave a detailed response. Thank you :)

Answer 1

Visual system:

In visual system, sensory cells convert physical energy of light signals into electrical impulses that travel to the brain. Sensory cells in visual system are rod cells and cone cells. The light produces a conformational changes in rhodopsin. This conformational change results in a reduction of the electrochemical gradient of the photoreceptor which results in reduction of electrical signals going to the brain.

Aulfactory system:

In the olfactory system the molecules that giving odour in the mucus bind to G protein receptors on olfactory cells. The G protein does activates a downstream signalling cascade that causes more level of cyclic AMP which causes neurotransmitter release.