Talk:Melanopsin
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[1] Article may be helpful for wikipedians who are more comfortable with the topic.
[edit] Expansion suggested
This article would be almost incomprehensible to most Wikipedia users. It needs a general introductory paragraph in lay language, perhaps focussing on the discovery of melanopsin as a third human photoreceptor, and its role and adaptive usefulness. I think it belongs in several other categories, too, eg something to do with "vision" or "light detection". yoyo 16:47, 19 October 2006 (UTC)
[edit] Human-specific among mammals
Nothing in the article indicates the surprising fact that among mammals, melanopsin appears to be unique to humans; although it has been found in several other vertebrates, including frogs and fish. Perhaps it is worth mentioning. The fact poses the interesting questions:
- How do other primates trigger the pupillary reflex? and
- Supposing the mechanism used by other primates to be efficient, why did humans need to evolve a new one?
yoyo 17:04, 19 October 2006 (UTC)
--Melanopsin is emphatically not unique to humans. The majority of the current research on melanopsin is being performed in mice, and mice definitely express melanopsin. I've seen the stained slides.
