Phototransduction

The process of detecting light and converting it to an electrical signal that is then relayed to the brain via the optic nerve.

Phototransduction is also called the visual cycle. It is the cascade of biochemical reactions involved in detecting light and converting it to an electrical signal that is relayed to the brain via the optic nerve. Both photoreceptors and RPE cells are essential for this process. Problems with proteins involved in phototransduction are responsible for causing certain retinal degenerative diseases.