The purplish red pigment rhodopsin contained in the rods type of photoreceptor cells of the human eye is a derivative…

The purplish red pigment rhodopsin contained in the rods type of photoreceptor cells of the human eye is a derivative of
A Vitamin A
B Vitamin $B_1$
C Vitamin C
D Vitamin D

Detailed Solution

The rods contain a purplish-red protein called rhodopsin or visual purple, which is needed for twilight (scotopic) vision.
The photopigments of the eye are made of opsin (a protein) and retinal.
Retinal is an aldehyde of vitamin A, so rhodopsin contains a derivative of vitamin A.
This is why deficiency of vitamin A causes night blindness.
Hence rhodopsin is a derivative of vitamin A.

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Practise Human eye All 4 questions This chapter in 2011 AIPMT-PRE