Dark current is the constant response exhibited by a receptor of radiation during periods when it is not actively being exposed to light. It may refer to:
- Dark current (biochemistry) : The depolarizing current, carried by Na+ ions, that flows into a photoreceptor cell when unstimulated.
- Dark current (physics): The relatively small electric current that flows through a photosensitive device when no photons are entering the device.
- Dark current (chemistry) : The constant response produced by a spectrochemical receptor, in the absence of radiation.
Famous quotes containing the words dark and/or current:
“Our roots are in the dark; the earth is our country. Why did we look up for blessing—instead of around, and down? What hope we have lies there. Not in the sky full of orbiting spy-eyes and weaponry, but in the earth we have looked down upon. Not from above, but from below. Not in the light that blinds, but in the dark that nourishes, where human beings grow human souls.”
—Ursula K. Le Guin (b. 1929)
“The English language may hold a more disagreeable combination of words than “The doctor will see you now.” I am willing to concede something to the phrase “Have you anything to say before the current is turned on?””
—Robert Benchley (1889–1945)