What is Retinal? why is it used in medicine?

Question

Vitamin A also exists as an alsehyde which is Retinal. What can it contribute to medicine? what is it? how does it work?

Answer 1

Retinal (retinene1 or retinaldehyde), is a light-sensitive retinene molecule found in the photoreceptor cells of the retina. It is the fundamental chromophore involved in the transduction of light into visual signals. To make it in simpler term,retinal is an important molecule which takes an important role in vision process along with rhodopsin.

It is believed that retinal could contribute a great resolution to vision problems. Currently researchers are undergoing extensive studies on retinal implants which are intended to replace photoreceptors in patients suffering from degenerative retinal diseases. Retinal on the other hand is hoped to resolve problems on blindness on the future.

Answer 2

Retinal is the key molecule involved in vision. In fact, there are two different isomers of retinal responsible for converting the energy in light photons into electrical impulses in the retina.

The precursor of 11-cis-retinal is the alcohol all-trans-retinol, commonly known as Vitamin A. This molecule cannot be synthsised by mammals and has to be acquired through the diet. Precursors to Vitamin A are carotenes, which are found in many vegetables including carrots. Perhaps this leads credence to the old superstition that carrots help you see better in the dark - indeed, it is known that a deficiency of Vitamin A leads to night blindness and eventually damage to the retinal cells involved in vision.

Retinol (Afaxin), the animal form of vitamin A, is a fat-soluble vitamin important in vision and bone growth. It belongs to the family of chemical compounds known as retinoids. Retinol is ingested in a precursor form; animal sources (liver and eggs) contain retinyl esters, whereas plants (carrots, spinach) contain pro-vitamin A carotenoids. Hydrolysis of retinyl esters results in retinol while pro-vitamin A carotenoids can be cleaved to produce retinal. Retinal, also known as retinaldehyde, can be reversibly reduced to produce retinol or it can be irreversibly oxidized to produce retinoic acid. The best described active retinoid metabolites are 11-cis-retinal and the all-trans and 9-cis-isomers of retinoic acid.

Answer 3

Retinol is the animal form of vitamin A. But I guess you asked about "retinal".
Retinal derives from the word 'retina', which is a part of the eye.
It is a thin layer of neural/nerve tissue that lines the back of the eye. Without the retina, we are completely blind, as in
'retinal detachment', an eye emergency that requires advanced treatment by an ophthalmologist (eye doctor).