Abstract
1. INTRODUCTION
This chapter considers the design of the insect compound eye as an optical device, taking advantage of techniques and ideas from the physical sciences. As equipment for optical, electrical and chemical analysis was developed in the 20th century, it became possible to discover how eyes actually work. The nervous system was revealed on the one hand as a vast assortment of neurons with individual specificities and responses, and on the other as an integrated system of circuits in parallel that can be understood only as a whole in context during normal behaviour. Even so, advance is limited by technique; for example, little is known about the responses of receptor cells that move under the influence of light.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Preview
Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.
Similar content being viewed by others
REFERENCES
Anderson, J.C. & Laughlin, S.B. (2000). Photoreceptor performance and the co-ordination of achromatic and chromatic inputs in the fly visual system. Vision Research, 40: 13-31.
Horridge, G.A. (1978). The separation of visual axes in apposition compound eyes. Philosophical Transac. Royal Soc. London, B 285,1-59
Horridge, G.A. (1980). Apposition eyes of large diurnal insects as organs adapted to seeing. Proc. Royal Soc. London, B 207, 287-309
Horridge, G.A. (1992). What can engineers learn from insect vision? Philosophical Transac. Royal Soc. London, B 337, 271-282
Horridge, G.A., Marcelja, L., Jahnke, R. & Mclntyre, P. (1983). Daily changes in the compound eye of a beetle (Macrogyrus). Proc. Royal Soc. London, B 217, 265-285.
Horridge, G.A., Mimura, K. & Hardie, R.C. (1976). Fly photoreceptors, III, Angular sensitivity as a function of wavelength and the limits of resolution. Proc. Royal Soc. London, B194, 151-177
Howard, J., Blakeslee, B. & Laughlin, S.B. (1987). The intracellular pupil mechanism and photoreceptor signal: Noise ratios in the fly Lucilia cuprina. Proc. Royal Soc. London, B 231, 415-435.
Howard, J. & Snyder, A.W. (1983). Transduction as a limitation on compound eye function and design. Proc. Royal Soc. London, B 217, 287-307.
Smakman, J.G.J., van Hateren, J.H. & Stavenga, D.G. (1984). Angular sensitivity of blowfly photoreceptors: intracellular predictions and wave-optical predictions. Journal of Comparative Physiology, A 155,239-247.
Snyder, A.W. (1979). The physics of vision in compound eyes. In Handbook of Sensory Physiology, Vol VII/6A: Vision in Invertebrates, ed. H. Autrum, 255-314. Berlin: Springer
Warrant E.J. and Mclntyre, P.D. (1991). Strategies for retinal design in arthropod eyes of low F-number. Journal of Comparative Physiology, A 168,499-512.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2002 Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Horridge, G.A. (2002). The Design of the Compound Eye Depends on the Physics of Light. In: Björn, L.O. (eds) Photobiology. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-010-0581-4_9
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-010-0581-4_9
Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht
Print ISBN: 978-94-010-3936-9
Online ISBN: 978-94-010-0581-4
eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive