As humans we are gifted with an amazing set of senses. One of the most amazing is our sense of sight that allows us to focus and see in near darkness as well as bright sunlight. When night hunting predators, our night vision is very important and we should do everything possible to preserve and protect it.
A key factor for effective night vision is a chemical called Rhodopsin. The text book definition is as follows: “Rhodopsin, also known as visual purple, is a pigment of the retina that is responsible for both the formation of the photoreceptor cells and the first events in the perception of light. Rhodopsins belong to the G-protein coupled receptor family and are extremely sensitive to light, enabling vision in low-light conditions.”
To give you a better understanding of the mechanics of the eye and night vision, you’ll have to bear with me and dive into this a bit deeper. So, hang in there as we take a little trip inside our eyes. Understanding how the abovementioned chemical and the mechanical aspects of our eyes work will help you to be a more effective night hunter.
The door to our eye’s engine room is the pupil. It automatically expands and contracts (just like a camera lens) depending upon the amount of ambient light we encounter. When the light is very bright, the pupil closes down and allows just the right amount of light for us to see well. In low light situations, the pupil opens wide and lets in all the light available.
The light is then projected into our eye and on to the eye’s retina. The retina has two different types of cells called rods and cones. Cone cells perceive colors in bright light and rod cells perceive black and white images and work best in low light. Rhodopsin, the chemical I mentioned earlier, is found in the rod cells.
Rhodopsin is the key to night vision. It is the chemical that the rods use to absorb photons and perceive light. When a molecule of rhodopsin absorbs a photon, it splits into a retinal and an opsin molecule. These molecules later recombine naturally back into rhodopsin at a fixed rate, and recombination is fairly slow.
So, when you expose your eyes to bright light, all of the rhodopsin breaks down into retinal and opsin. If you then turn out the lights and try to see in the dark, you can't. The cones need a lot of light, so they are useless, and there is no rhodopsin now so the rods are useless, too. Over the course of several minutes, however, the retinal and opsin recombine back into rhodopsin, and you can begin to see again. Simply stated, exposed to light, the pigment immediately photo-bleaches, and it takes about 30 minutes to regenerate to your optimum night vision again.
Keep in mind that the retinal used in the eye is derived from vitamin A. If a person's diet is low in vitamin A, there is not enough retinal in the rods and therefore not enough rhodopsin. People who lack vitamin A often suffer from night blindness and they cannot see in the dark. So, a couple of weeks before night hunting starts, you may want to start pumping some vitamin A into your system.
The predators we hunt have several advantages over us humans. You’ll want to even the odds as much as you can by taking good care of yourself and sharpening your senses the best you can. Don’t forget to get your body in shape before the hunting season starts. I guess Mom was right. Take your vitamins and you’ll be a more successful hunter. For your other hunting needs and tips for more successful hunting, be sure to check our RedHunter LLC. Good hunting and shoot straight.
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