Visual pigments, cone oil droplets and ocular media in four species of estrildid finch

2000 ◽  
Vol 186 (7-8) ◽  
pp. 681-694 ◽  
Author(s):  
N.S. Hart ◽  
J.C. Partridge ◽  
A.T.D. Bennett ◽  
I.C. Cuthill
Keyword(s):  
Visual Pigments ◽  
Oil Droplets ◽  
Ocular Media

Visual pigments and oil droplets in diurnal lizards

2002 ◽  
Vol 205 (7) ◽  
pp. 927-938 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ellis R. Loew ◽  
Leo J. Fleishman ◽  
Russell G. Foster ◽  
Ignacio Provencio
Keyword(s):  
Visual Pigment ◽  
Visual Pigments ◽  
Anolis Carolinensis ◽  
Visual Cell ◽  
Oil Droplets ◽  
Oil Droplet ◽  
Long Wavelength ◽  
Apparent Color ◽  
Vitamin A2 ◽  
Insight Into

SUMMARY We report microspectrophotometric (MSP) data for the visual pigments and oil droplets of 17 species of Caribbean anoline lizard known to live in differing photic habitats and having distinctly different dewlap colors. The outgroup Polychrus marmoratus was also examined to gain insight into the ancestral condition. Except for Anolis carolinensis, which is known to use vitamin A2 as its visual pigment chromophore, all anoline species examined possessed at least four vitamin-A1-based visual pigments with maximum absorbance (λmax) at 564, 495,455 and 365 nm. To the previously reported visual pigments for A. carolinensis we add an ultraviolet-sensitive one withλ max at 365 nm. Five common classes of oil droplet were measured, named according to apparent color and associated with specific cone classes — yellow and green in long-wavelength-sensitive (LWS) cones,green only in medium-wavelength-sensitive (MWS) cones and colorless in short-wavelength-sensitive (SWS) and ultraviolet-sensitive (UVS) cones. MSP data showed that the colorless droplet in the SWS cone had significant absorption between 350 and 400 nm, while the colorless droplet in the UVS cone did not. The pattern for Polychrus marmoratus was identical to that for the anoles except for the presence of a previously undescribed visual cell with a rod-like outer segment, a visual pigment with a λmaxof 497 nm and a colorless oil droplet like that in the UVS cones. These findings suggest that anoline visual pigments, as far as they determine visual system spectral sensitivity, are not necessarily adapted to the photic environment or to the color of significant visual targets (e.g. dewlaps).

Visual pigments, oil droplets and cone photoreceptor distribution in the european starling (Sturnus vulgaris)

1998 ◽  
Vol 201 (9) ◽  
pp. 1433-1446 ◽  
Author(s):  
N S Hart ◽  
J C Partridge ◽  
I C Cuthill
Keyword(s):  
Visual Pigment ◽  
Sturnus Vulgaris ◽  
European Starling ◽  
Visual Pigments ◽  
Double Cone ◽  
Temporal Region ◽  
Oil Droplets ◽  
Tetrazolium Chloride ◽  
Oil Droplet ◽  
Single Cone

Microspectrophotometric measurements of retinal photoreceptors from the European starling (Sturnus vulgaris) revealed four classes of single cone, containing visual pigments with wavelengths of maximum absorbance (<IMG src="/images/symbols/lambda.gif" WIDTH="8" HEIGHT="12" ALIGN="BOTTOM" NATURALSIZEFLAG= "3">max) at 563, 504, 449 and close to 362 nm. The two longer-wave-sensitive single cones contained brightly coloured oil droplets which cut off light below 572 and 514 nm, respectively. The 449 nm <IMG src="/images/symbols/lambda.gif" WIDTH="8" HEIGHT="12" ALIGN="BOTTOM" NATURALSIZEFLAG="3">max pigment was associated with a 'colourless' oil droplet with peak measured absorptance below 400 nm. The ultraviolet-sensitive visual pigment was paired with a transparent oil droplet which showed no significant absorption above 350 nm. A single class of double cone was identified, both members of which contained the longwave-sensitive (<IMG src="/images/symbols/lambda.gif" WIDTH="8" HEIGHT= "12" ALIGN="BOTTOM" NATURALSIZEFLAG="3">max 563 nm) visual pigment. The principal member of the double cone contained an oil droplet with a topographically variable cut-off wavelength below 471 nm; the oil droplet found in the accessory member was only measured in the ventral retina and displayed three distinct peaks of absorption at approximately 430, 450 and 480 nm. Rod photoreceptors had a <IMG src="/images/symbols/lambda.gif" WIDTH="8" HEIGHT="12" ALIGN="BOTTOM" NATURALSIZEFLAG="3">max at 503 nm. A new polynomial for fitting visual pigment templates to ultraviolet-sensitive visual pigment data is given. Topographic density measurements of the different cone classes were made using Nitroblue-tetrazolium chloride to label selectively bleached photoreceptors. The two classes of shortwave-sensitive single cone were more abundant in the dorsal retina, and longwave-sensitive single cones were notably less abundant in the dorso-temporal region of the retina, which subserves binocular vision.

scholarly journals The spectral transmission of ocular media suggests ultraviolet sensitivity is widespread among mammals

2014 ◽  
Vol 281 (1780) ◽  
pp. 20132995 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. H. Douglas ◽  
G. Jeffery
Keyword(s):  
Energy Level ◽  
Visual Pigment ◽  
High Spatial Resolution ◽  
Mammalian Species ◽  
Visual Pigments ◽  
Spectral Transmission ◽  
Tree Shrews ◽  
Uv Sensitivity ◽  
Ultraviolet Sensitivity ◽  
Ocular Media

Although ultraviolet (UV) sensitivity is widespread among animals it is considered rare in mammals, being restricted to the few species that have a visual pigment maximally sensitive ( λ max ) below 400 nm. However, even animals without such a pigment will be UV-sensitive if they have ocular media that transmit these wavelengths, as all visual pigments absorb significant amounts of UV if the energy level is sufficient. Although it is known that lenses of diurnal sciurid rodents, tree shrews and primates prevent UV from reaching the retina, the degree of UV transmission by ocular media of most other mammals without a visual pigment with λ max in the UV is unknown. We examined lenses of 38 mammalian species from 25 families in nine orders and observed large diversity in the degree of short-wavelength transmission. All species whose lenses removed short wavelengths had retinae specialized for high spatial resolution and relatively high cone numbers, suggesting that UV removal is primarily linked to increased acuity. Other mammals, however, such as hedgehogs, dogs, cats, ferrets and okapis had lenses transmitting significant amounts of UVA (315–400 nm), suggesting that they will be UV-sensitive even without a specific UV visual pigment.

scholarly journals Owls lack UV-sensitive cone opsin and red oil droplets, but see UV light at night: Retinal transcriptomes and ocular media transmittance

2019 ◽  
Vol 158 ◽  
pp. 109-119 ◽  
Author(s):  
Julia Höglund ◽  
Mindaugas Mitkus ◽  
Peter Olsson ◽  
Olle Lind ◽  
Anna Drews ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Uv Light ◽  
Light At Night ◽  
Oil Droplets ◽  
Cone Opsin ◽  
Ocular Media

scholarly journals Characterization of visual pigments, oil droplets, lens and cornea in the whooping crane Grus americana

2014 ◽  
Vol 217 (21) ◽  
pp. 3883-3890 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. L. Porter ◽  
A. C. N. Kingston ◽  
R. McCready ◽  
E. G. Cameron ◽  
C. M. Hofmann ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Visual Pigments ◽  
Oil Droplets ◽  
Grus Americana ◽  
Whooping Crane

scholarly journals Ultraviolet vision in birds: the importance of transparent eye media

2014 ◽  
Vol 281 (1774) ◽  
pp. 20132209 ◽  
Author(s):  
Olle Lind ◽  
Mindaugas Mitkus ◽  
Peter Olsson ◽  
Almut Kelber
Keyword(s):  
Uv Light ◽  
Bird Species ◽  
Bright Light ◽  
Visual Pigments ◽  
Colour Discrimination ◽  
Animal Kingdom ◽  
Eye Size ◽  
Visual Models ◽  
Ultraviolet Vision ◽  
Ocular Media

Ultraviolet (UV)-sensitive visual pigments are widespread in the animal kingdom but many animals, for example primates, block UV light from reaching their retina by pigmented lenses. Birds have UV-sensitive (UVS) visual pigments with sensitivity maxima around 360–373 nm (UVS) or 402–426 nm (violet-sensitive, VS). We describe how these pigments are matched by the ocular media transmittance in 38 bird species. Birds with UVS pigments have ocular media that transmit more UV light (wavelength of 50% transmittance, λ T0.5 , 323 nm) than birds with VS pigments ( λ T0.5 , 358 nm). Yet, visual models predict that colour discrimination in bright light is mostly dependent on the visual pigment (UVS or VS) and little on the ocular media. We hypothesize that the precise spectral tuning of the ocular media is mostly relevant for detecting weak UV signals, e.g. in dim hollow-nests of passerines and parrots. The correlation between eye size and UV transparency of the ocular media suggests little or no lens pigmentation. Therefore, only small birds gain the full advantage from shifting pigment sensitivity from VS to UVS. On the other hand, some birds with VS pigments have unexpectedly low UV transmission of the ocular media, probably because of UV blocking lens pigmentation.

The visual pigments and oil droplets of the chicken retina

1977 ◽  
Vol 17 (7) ◽  
pp. 755-764 ◽  
Author(s):  
J.K. Bowmaker ◽  
Aubrey Knowles
Keyword(s):  
Visual Pigments ◽  
Oil Droplets ◽  
Chicken Retina
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