Question Details

This is an incorrect statement

Options

A

rhodopsin is the purplish-red protein situated in rods only

B

Retinal is a derivative of Vitamin C

C

Retinal is the light-absorbing part of visual photopigments

D

the rods in the retina have rhodopsin, a photopigment while cones have three different photopigments

Correct Answer :

Retinal is a derivative of Vitamin C

Solution :

The correct option (the incorrect statement) is: "Retinal is a derivative of Vitamin C".

Explanation:
To understand why this statement is incorrect, let us analyze the biochemistry of visual photopigments step-by-step:
1. Retinal and Vitamin Relationship: Retinal (also known as retinaldehyde) is a light-absorbing molecule that is structurally an aldehyde derivative of Vitamin A (retinol), not Vitamin C (ascorbic acid). Vitamin A is an essential fat-soluble vitamin obtained from the diet, and its deficiency directly affects vision, leading to conditions like night blindness.
2. Role of Retinal: Retinal serves as the chromophore (the light-absorbing part) of all visual photopigments. It binds to membrane proteins called opsins.
3. Rhodopsin: Rhodopsin is a purplish-red, light-sensitive receptor protein. It is composed of retinal and the protein scotopsin, and is located exclusively in the rod cells of the retina, which are responsible for twilight (scotopic) vision.
4. Cones and Rods: While rods contain only one type of photopigment (rhodopsin), cones contain three different types of photopigments (photopsins) that are sensitive to red, green, and blue wavelengths of light, facilitating color (photopic) vision.

Therefore, the assertion that retinal is a derivative of Vitamin C is false, making it the correct option choice for this question.

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