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Mechanisms of Photomechanical Movement

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Photoreceptor Optics

Abstract

A number of arthropod eyes have changes in the endoplasmic reticulum near the rhabdomeres and also radial movements of shielding pigment granules in response to light and dark adaptation (BUTLER, 1973; KIRSCHFELD and FRANCESCHINI, 1969; MENZEL, 1972; MILLER, 1958; WALCOTT, 1974). The optical consequences are discussed in FRANCESCHINI, this volume. Two hypotheses, which are not necessarily mutually exclusive, have been proposed to explain the pigment granule movement; while the causes of the endoplasmic reticulum changes have not been explored. The two hypotheses regarding the movement of shielding pigment are a) an electrophoresis model in which the force exerted on pigment granules is related to membrane potential (STAVENGA, 1971; HAGINS and LIEBMAN, 1962); and b) a model in which the pigment granules are moved by micro-tubules (MILLER and CAWTHON, 1974). Evidence is presented here to suggest that not only are the microtubules involved in the movement of shielding pigment but that they also mediate the changes in the structure of the endoplasmic reticulum in the compound eye of Limulus.

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Authors
  1. William H. Miller
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Applied Mathematics, Institute of Advanced Studies, Australian National University, P.O. Box 4, 2600, Canberra, A.C.T., Australia

    Allan W. Snyder

  2. Fachbereich Biologie, Zoologie, Technische Hochschule Darmstadt, Schnittspahnstraße 3, 61 Darmstadt, W.Germany

    Randolf Menzel

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© 1975 Springer-Verlag Berlin · Heidelberg

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Miller, W.H. (1975). Mechanisms of Photomechanical Movement. In: Snyder, A.W., Menzel, R. (eds) Photoreceptor Optics. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-80934-7_25

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-80934-7_25

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-642-80936-1

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-642-80934-7

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

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