Abstract
The two-factor nerve excitation theory is applied to the photoreactions of some lower animals along with the assumption that the threshold itself varies under the action of light, thus behaving formally like a third factor. The dependence of the reaction time upon the intensity of the stimulus is derived and is shown to follow the Bunsen-Roscoe law. The dependence of reaction time upon the time of exposure to light of a fixed intensity is derived and analyzed. The effect of dark adaptation upon the reaction time is analyzed quantitatively. Light adaptation and the effects of termination of exposure after light adaptation are discussed from the standpoint of this theory and the theory is found to be in agreement with observations.
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Runge, R. A theory of photosensitivity of some lower animals. Bulletin of Mathematical Biophysics 7, 59–67 (1945). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02478454
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02478454