I have been enlightened as to the “actual mechanism” of light interaction with retinal receptors that, surprisingly, this process even today is thought to invoke the concept of treating the receptor as an optical (or fiber optic) waveguide. I had believed that viewing receptors as waveguides was in the past as it has never after significant theoretical study led to any new insights into the vision process. In any event, I am informed that it is contemporary thought that the body of the receptor acts as such a waveguide directing light as a wave (waveguides direct light as a wave!) to the point of interaction with pigment molecules. Additionally, I am informed in no uncertain manner that the smaller rod receptors “are known not to be very effective waveguides”. This is given as the reason why no rod receptors (read none!) are seen in the pseudo colored “cone mosaic” images that are the basis of the work of Roorda et al (1) and more recently of Masuda et al (2). I was further told that these images are not the light interactive outer segments of the “cones” but are actually of their inner segments! The images follow from (somehow?) the aforesaid classical guiding of light as a wave through the inner segment and after retro-reflection following light passage through the outer segment where light interaction is known to occur. The function of inner retinal segments (that are somewhat larger in diameter than the outer segments) functions not to interact with light but to serve as a “genetic factory” for the continuous production of the thylakoid disks that form the outer light interactive segment. ?
So to try to summarize this, it is assumed that the receptors of the retina act as light waveguides (which, incidentally, treat light as the wave of classical physics!) and posits that, after light enters the receptor through the inner segment finally arriving at the outer segment where the light interaction process occurs. One must assume that, in physics terms, the wave/particle duality “happens” (or using Stapp’s statement “a miracle occurs”) somewhere in this passage, the radiation becomes a photon/particle and, following this, interacts with retinal pigment molecules. Vision theory then proceeds into such nonsense as explaining the extraordinary length of receptors , and the stack of thylakoid disks contained within, functioning as some sort of “photon catch” configuration whose function is to enhance the absorption of photons! This scenario does represent long accepted physics but this is now being superseded as I will show by recent results in nanotechnology. It will become clear that we are now entering an era that will change our views of a great many areas of science - including vision.
In the imagery of Roorda/Masuda (that I am informed has a spatial resolution of 2 microns or a little greater than the diameter of a single cone) rod receptors do not appear at all although they are present in greater numbers than cones, have inner segments and diameters approximating half that of cones, and would seem to somehow, according to well measured retinal morphology (Osterberg and others), “fill up space” in the images of the presented retinal morphology…?? The reason given for the non-appearance of rods is that they, as noted above, “are not very effective waveguides”.
Is any of the above logical?
Enter some modern physics – please!!!!
Historically, there have been any number of treatments of retinal receptors as light waveguides. Noting the work of Jay Enoch and B.R. Horowitz will suffice. It will be crucial to note that these analytical studies - and the above modeling so posits - considered waveguide diameters in the traditional sense used in contemporary fiber optic technology where we assume that light is guided totally within the fiber itself. I would note, parenthetically, that these studies over the years never led to any new insights into the vision process– until I was informed that this modeling is accepted today. This came as a total surprise!
But, enter the modern world. It has been experimentally found as early as 2004, and reported by a Harvard group (3) that when the diameter of the optical fiber is reduced to micron or sub-micron dimensions (i.e., the wavelength of light) light is guided outside of, or around, rather than inside, the body of the optical fiber.
And…these are fiber light guides that are of the dimensions of retinal receptors.
This result directly supports my explanation where light as a wave interacts between adjacent to what will in physics be termed quantum confined electron centers or nanowires - the body of the receptors.
Further in this mode, it is observed that the evanescent field (i.e. the field orthogonal to the direction of light) is enhanced which exactly supports my explanation regarding energy transference to the retinal/rhodopsin complex that is dichroically oriented in this direction within receptors.
GCH
5/12/08
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