Visual acuity of fly photoreceptors in natural conditions--dependence on UV sensitizing pigment and light-controlling pupil.

University of Groningen Visual acuity of fly photoreceptors in natural conditions - dependence on UV sensitizing pigment and light-controlling pupil Stavenga, Doekele

The Fly Sensitizing Pigment Enhances UV Spectral Sensitivity While Preventing Polarization-Induced Artifacts

Microvillar photoreceptors are intrinsically capable of detecting the orientation of e-vector of linearly polarized light. They provide most invertebrates with an additional sensory channel to detect important features of their visual environment. However, polarization sensitivity (PS) of photoreceptors may lead to the detection of polarization-induced false colors and intensity contrasts. Most...

The contribution of a sensitizing pigment to the photosensitivity spectra of fly rhodopsin and metarhodopsin

Most of the photoreceptors of the fly compound eye have high sensitivity in the ultraviolet (UV) as well as in the visible spectral range. This UV sensitivity arises from a photostable pigment that acts as a sensitizer for rhodopsin. Because the sensitizing pigment cannot be bleached, the classical determination of the photosensitivity spectrum from measurements of the difference spectrum of th...

Calcium Enables Photoreceptor Pigment Migration in a Mutant Fly

Upon bright illumination, pigment granules in the photoreceptors of the fly compound eye migrate transversely toward the rhabdomeres (Kirschfeld & Franceschini, 1969). The granules absorb light passing down the rhabdomeric light guide, thereby reducing the light available to the visual pigment. This light-regulating mechanism is found in a number of invertebrate eyes (Stavenga, 1979) and has be...

Histopathological analysis of UV-B irradiated retina by Cavia Coba'ya and with protection of transmission light lambda 550-600 nm.

In 14 experimental Cavia Coba'ya eyes were irradiated with UV-B light, lambda 312 nm, 25 J/cm2 in 15 minute exposure. Including the transmission of light through optical media: cornea, lens, humor aqueous and vitreous body, and pupil surface of 7 mm2, we can calculate that in these conditions retina can be really irradiated with 10 J/cm2. The half number of Cavia Coba'ya was simultaneously irra...