Skip to main content
Log in

Properties of photoreceptors R7 and R8 in dorsal marginal ommatidia in the compound eyes ofMusca andCalliphora

  • Published:
Journal of Comparative Physiology A Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Summary

  1. 1.

    Intracellular recordings were made from R7 and R8 photoreceptors in dorsal marginal ommatidia in the fliesCalliphora erythrocephala andMusca domestica.

  2. 2.

    Intracellular injection of Lucifer yellow identified the cells as the specialised marginal photoreceptors described by Wada (1974b) and showed that they project long visual fibres to the medulla (Fig. 1).

  3. 3.

    Both R7 and R8 in these ommatidia are pure ultraviolet receptors. The spectral sensitivity function peaks between 330 and 350 nm and is similar to that recorded from so called 7p cells (Fig. 3).

  4. 4.

    These cells are also extremely sensitive to the e-vector of polarized light. Each responds maximally to light parallel to its microvillar orientation. Polarization sensitivity (PS) depended to some extent on the intensity of the test light, at moderate light intensities PS values as high as 19∶1 were measured (Fig. 6). At low light levels the response to the non-preferred e-vector orientation was hyperpolarizing suggesting a negative electrical interaction between cells R7 and R8 (Figs. 4 and 5).

  5. 5.

    Typical of other R7 and R8 cells the responses of the marginal R7 and R8 cells were noisy indicative of large voltage gain per quantum, and the input resistances of the cells were very high (up to 190 megohm).

  6. 6.

    Absolute sensitivity (defined as the reciprocal of the intensity required to generate 50% maximal response) and angular sensitivity in the marginal R7 cells both varied considerably, and were not significantly different from values measured from R1–6 cells in the same region.

  7. 7.

    The visual axes of the marginal photoreceptors were directed between 12° and 24° into the contralateral visual field.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

Abbreviations

PS :

Polarization sensitivity

APS50 :

Axial peak sensitivity at 50% response level

Δp :

halfwidth of the angular sensitivity function

References

  • Beersma DGM, Stavenga DG, Kuiper JW (1977) Retinal lattice visual field and binocularities in flies. J Comp Physiol 119:207–220

    Google Scholar 

  • Bernard GD, Wehner R (1977) Functional similarities between polarization vision and colour vision. Vision Res 17:1019–1028

    Google Scholar 

  • Burkhardt D (1962) Spectral sensitivity and other response characteristics of single visual cells in the arthropod eye. Symp Soc Exp Biol 16:86–109

    Google Scholar 

  • Franceschini N, Hardie RC (1980) In vivo recovery of dye-injected photoreceptor cells in the retina of the flyMusca domestica. J Physiol (Lond) 301:59P

    Google Scholar 

  • Franceschini N, Kirschfeld K, Minke B (1981a) Fluorescence of photoreceptor cells observed in vivo. Science 213:1264–1267

    Google Scholar 

  • Franceschini N, Hardie RC, Ribi W, Kirschfeld K (1981b) Sexual dimorphism in a photoreceptor. Nature 291:241–244

    Google Scholar 

  • Frisch K von (1965) Tanzsprache und Orientierung der Bienen. Springer, Berlin Heidelberg New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Goldsmith TH (1975) The polarization sensitivity dichroic absorption paradox in arthropod photoreceptors. In: Snyder AW, Menzel R (eds) Photoreceptor optics. Springer, Berlin Heidelberg New York, pp 392–409

    Google Scholar 

  • Hardie RC (1979) Electrophysiological analysis of the fly retina. I. Comparative properties of R1–6 and R7 and R8. J Comp Physiol 129:19–33

    Google Scholar 

  • Hardie RC, Kirschfeld K (1983) Ultraviolet sensitivity of fly photoreceptors R7 and R8: evidence for a sensitising function. Biophys Struct Mech 9:171–180

    Google Scholar 

  • Hardie RC, Franceschini N, McIntyre PD (1979) Electrophysiological analysis of the fly retina. II. Spectral and polarization sensitivity in R7 and R8. J Comp Physiol 133:23–39

    Google Scholar 

  • Hardie RC, Franceschini N, Ribi W, Kirschfeld (1981) Distribution and properties of sex-specific photoreceptors in the flyMusca domestica. J Comp Physiol 145:139–152

    Google Scholar 

  • Harris WA, Stark WS, Walker JA (1976) Genetic dissection of the photoreceptor system in the compound eye ofDrosophila melanogaster. J Physiol 256:415–439

    Google Scholar 

  • Horridge GA, Marcelja L, Jahnke R, Matic T (1983) Single electrode studies on the retina of the butterflyPapilio. J Comp Physiol 150:270–294

    Google Scholar 

  • Kirschfeld K (1969) Absorption properties of photopigments in single rods, cones and rhabdomeres. In: Reichardt W (ed) Processing of optical data by organisms and machines. Academic Press, New York London, pp 116–136

    Google Scholar 

  • Kirschfeld K (1973) Vision of polarized light. Symposium proceedings of the 4th International Biophysical Congress Moscow, pp 289–296

  • Kirschfeld K (1979) The function of photostable pigments in fly photoreceptors. Biophys Struct Mech 5:117–128

    Google Scholar 

  • Kirschfeld K, Franceschini N (1968) Optische Eigenschaften der Ommatidien im Komplexauge vonMusca. Kybernetik 5:47–52

    Google Scholar 

  • Kirschfeld K, Feiler R, Franceschini N (1978) A photostable pigment within the rhabdomere of fly photoreceptor no. 7. J Comp Physiol 125:275–284

    Google Scholar 

  • Labhart T (1980) Specialised photoreceptors at the dorsal rim of the honeybee's compound eye: polarizational and angular sensitivity. J Comp Physiol 141:19–30

    Google Scholar 

  • Laughlin SB (1976) The sensitivities of dragonfly photoreceptors and the voltage gain of transduction. J Comp Physiol 111:221–247

    Google Scholar 

  • McCann GD, Arnett DW (1972) Spectral and polarization sensitivity of the dipteran visual system. J Gen Physiol 59:534–558

    Google Scholar 

  • McIntyre PD, Kirschfeld K (1981) Absorption properties of a photostable pigment (P456) in rhabdomere 7 of the fly. J Comp Physiol 143:3–15

    Google Scholar 

  • Menzel R (1975) Polarization sensitivity in insect eyes with fused rhabdoms. In: Snyder AW, Menzel R (eds) Photoreceptor optics. Springer, Berlin Heidelberg New York, pp 372–387

    Google Scholar 

  • Menzel R, Snyder AW (1974) Polarized light detection in the bee,Apis mellifera. J Comp Physiol 88:247–270

    Google Scholar 

  • Moody MF, Parriss JR (1961) The discrimination of polarized light byOctopus: a behavioural and morphological study. Z Vergl Physiol 44:268–291

    Google Scholar 

  • Räber F (1979) Retinotopographie und Sehfeldtopologie des Komplexauges vonCataglyphis bicolor (Formicidae, Hymenoptera) und einiger verwandter Formiciden-Arten. Dissertation Universität Zürich

  • Shaw SR (1969) Sense cell structure and interspecies comparisons of polarized-light absorption in arthropod compound eyes. Vision Res 9:1031–1040

    Google Scholar 

  • Shaw SR (1975) Retinal resistance barriers and electrical lateral inhibition. Nature 255:480–483

    Google Scholar 

  • Smola U, Meffert P (1979) The spectral sensitivity of the visual cells R7 and R8 in the eye of the blowflyCalliphora erythrocephala. J Comp Physiol 133:41–52

    Google Scholar 

  • Snyder AW (1973) Polarization sensitivity of individual retinula cells. J Comp Physiol 83:331–360

    Google Scholar 

  • Snyder AW, Laughlin SB (1975) Dichroism and absorption by photoreceptors. J Comp Physiol 100:101–116

    Google Scholar 

  • Snyder AW, McIntyre P (1975) Polarization sensitivity of twisted fused rhabdoms. In: Snyder AW, Menzel R (eds) Photoreceptor optics. Springer, Berlin Heidelberg New York, pp 388–391

    Google Scholar 

  • Sommer EW (1979) Untersuchungen zur topographischen Anatomie der Retina und zur Sehfeldtopologie im Auge der Honigbiene,Apis mellifera (Hymenoptera). Dissertation. Universität Zürich

  • Stowe S (1980) Spectral sensitivity and retinal pigment movement in the crabLeptograpsus variegatus (Fabricius). J Exp Biol 87:73–98

    Google Scholar 

  • Wada S (1974a) Spezielle randzonale Ommatidien der Fliegen (Diptera: Brachycera): Architektur und Verteilung in den Komplexaugen. Z Morphol Tiere 77:87–125

    Google Scholar 

  • Wada S (1974b) Spezielle randzonale Ommatidien vonCalliphora erythrocephala Meig. (Diptera: Calliphoridae): Architektur der zentralen Rhabdomeren-Kolumne und Topographie im Komplexauge. Int J Insect Morphol Embryol 3:397–424

    Google Scholar 

  • Waterman TH (1980) Polarization sensitivity. In: Autrum H (ed) Vision in invertebrates (Handbook of sensory physiology, vol VII/6B). Springer, Berlin Heidelberg New York, pp 283–469

    Google Scholar 

  • Wehner R (1982) Himmelsnavigation bei Insekten. Neujahrsblatt der Naturforschenden Gesellschaft in Zürich (ed. H.H. Bosshard) Naturforschende Gesellschaft in Zürich

  • Wehner R, Duelli P (1971) The spatial orientation of desert antsCataglyphis bicolor. Experientia 27:1364–1366

    Google Scholar 

  • Wolf R, Gebhardt B, Gademann R, Heisenberg M (1980) Polarization sensitivity of course control inDrosophila melanogaster. J Comp Physiol 139:177–191

    Google Scholar 

  • Wunderer H, Smola U (1982a) Fine structure of ommatidia at the dorsal eye margin ofCalliphora erythrocephala Meigen (Diptera: Calliphoridae): An eye region specialised for the detection of polarized light. Int J Insect Morphol Embryol 11:25–38

    Google Scholar 

  • Wunderer H, Smola U (1982b) Morphological differentiation of the central visual cells R7/R8 in various regions of the blowfly eye. Tissue Cell 12:341–358

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Hardie, R.C. Properties of photoreceptors R7 and R8 in dorsal marginal ommatidia in the compound eyes ofMusca andCalliphora . J. Comp. Physiol. 154, 157–165 (1984). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00604981

Download citation

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00604981

Keywords

Navigation