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Keth
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- Looking for material related to Quantum Bumps as it relates to humans.
Has there been a study looking for a quantum bump in human photoreceptors. I've done some searching and haven't crossed anything as of yet.
Welcome to PhysicsForums.Keth said:Summary:: Looking for material related to Quantum Bumps as it relates to humans.
Has there been a study looking for a quantum bump in human photoreceptors. I've done some searching and haven't crossed anything as of yet.
https://www.pnas.org/content/105/30/10354Photoreceptors of Drosophila compound eye employ a G protein-mediated signaling pathway that transduces single photons into transient electrical responses called “quantum bumps”
jim mcnamara said:https://www.pnas.org/content/105/30/10354
And no, I do not see anything with quick search in terms of human vision. What prompted this question?
Looking to write a proposal. I'm trying to dig up anything related to firing single photons into a human eye.jim mcnamara said:https://www.pnas.org/content/105/30/10354
And no, I do not see anything with quick search in terms of human vision. What prompted this question?
That's the first one I found actuallyjim mcnamara said:That answers the original question. Good google foo, @atyy
I thought the name was a bit quirky too but I am trying to look at it with an eye toward information theory and considering this as a good place to get a strong number for bits into a system. Might not be what I end with but I got to exhaust it first.BillTre said:This looks like it probably is addressing "quantal release" of neurotransmitter at synapses to me.
Many neurotransmitters are packaged in small vesicles in a pre-synaptic ending ready to be released when a Ca++ enters the pre-synaptic ending, which is evoked by action potentials or other membrane potential changes.
The neurotransmitter diffuses across the synaptic cleft (between the pre-synaptic cell and the post-synaptic cell) where the neuurotransmitter interacts with membrane receptors. Many kinds of receptors than open channels for ions to enter the cell for a short period of time, causing a small short lived change in the post-synaptic cell's membrane potential. these events are often called miniature end plate potentials, but I could understand someone calling them quantal bumps.
The quantal part refers to it being the smallest amount of transmitter released and smallest membrane response to a synaptic activity. Has nothing to do with quantum physics however.
atyy said:I had not heard of the term "quantum bump" before, but given that the paper is about the transduction of "single photons", corresponding papers about human photoreceptors follow below. The term "single photon" means different things in both papers, with the review by Pugh (2018) using to the term to refer to work such as that by Hecht (1942), and stricter criteria used to define the term in the paper by Tinsley et al (2016).
Pugh (2018): The discovery of the ability of rod photoreceptors to signal single photons
Tinsley et al (2016): Direct detection of a single photon by humans
A quantum bump in human photoreceptors refers to the moment when a single photon of light is absorbed by a photoreceptor cell in the retina, triggering a series of biochemical reactions that ultimately result in the perception of light by the brain.
Scientists are studying quantum bumps in human photoreceptors to gain a better understanding of how the human eye perceives light and how this process may be affected by factors such as age, disease, and genetic variations. This research can also help in the development of new treatments for vision-related conditions.
Scientists use a variety of techniques, including electrophysiology and microscopy, to study quantum bumps in human photoreceptors. These methods allow them to measure the electrical signals and structural changes that occur in the photoreceptor cells when they are exposed to light.
Scientists have discovered that quantum bumps in human photoreceptors are highly efficient and sensitive, with the ability to detect single photons of light. They have also found that the timing and strength of these bumps can vary depending on the wavelength and intensity of the light.
The study of quantum bumps in human photoreceptors can lead to a better understanding of vision and potentially help in the development of new treatments for vision-related conditions. It can also contribute to advancements in technology, such as the development of more sensitive cameras and sensors based on the principles of human vision.