Unusual eye design: The compound-lens eyes of Strepsiptera and the scanning eyes of Sunburst Diving Beetle larvae
Year: 2010
Type: article
Abstract: opsin (TmLW) mRNA, whereas the proximal retina expresses ultraviolet opsin (TmUV II) mRNA.In contrast to third instars, the proximal retina of first instars shows a weak expression of the TmUV I mRNA limited only to its dorsal half.Third instars lack expression of TmUV I mRNA in their proximal retina.By using intracellular recordings from photoreceptor cells in third instars, I have shown that the distal retina has maximum sensitivity in green (LW), approximately 520-540 nm with an addition of a smaller peak in ultra-violet (UV), around 340-360 nm.The proximal retina is UV-sensitive with peak absorbance at 374 nm.This arrangement, to my knowledge, is the first example of a tiered system with the LW-sensitive cells distal to the UV-sensitive cells.Perhaps this unusual spectral arrangement creates a novel contrast enhancement mechanism.It is still unknown if these animals are capable of color and polarization sensitivity, and both of these visual modalities, including monochromatic vision, can be affected by the strange placement of the distal and proximal retina.Additional optical, physiological and behavioral studies will be necessary to answer these questions.
Author: Srdjan Maksimovic
Institution: University of Cincinnati
Language: English
Subfield: Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience
Field: Neuroscience
Domain: Life Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W2338492923