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retinal
(retīĭ-nәl)
pertaining to the retina.
the aldehyde of retinol, having vitamin A activity. One isomer (11-cis-retinal) combines with opsin in the retinal rods (scotopsin) to form rhodopsin, or visual purple; another, all-trans-retinal, or visual yellow, results from the bleaching of rhodopsin by light, in which the 11-cis form is converted to the all-trans form. Retinal also combines with opsins in the retinal cones to form the three pigments responsible for color vision.

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