ABSTRACT
In a strange quirk of nature, specialized membrane disks essential for sensing light in rod cells of the eye age more rapidly than any other class of membranes in the human body. The light-sensing protein rhodopsin is the predominant protein embedded in these membranes, and this gave rise to their name, rhodopsin membrane disks. Historically, rhodopsin membrane disks have been workhorses in the €eld of DHA membranes and have provided much of the background chemical information needed to understand mechanisms of lipid peroxidation of DHA membranes during aging and neurodegeneration. Some selected highlights from research on lipid peroxidation of rhodopsin disks are as follows:
• High DHA content fosters rapid turnover. The highest level of DHA reported in rhodopsin membrane disks (found in certain rodents) is 53 percent of total fatty acids.
