Responses of the Distal Retinal Pigment of Palaemonetes to Illumination

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
A technic for rapid assay of the state of the distal retinal pigment is descr. On the avg., about 90 min. is required for movement of the pigment from the fully dark- to the fully light-adapted position, and about 60 min. for the reverse. In normal adaptation to illumination the distal retinal pigment of P. vulgaris shows a graded response over a range of intensities involving more than 7 log units. In animals on a black background, the distal pigment assumes a more dark-adapted position than upon a white one. This is shown not to be an albedo response as with the integumentary pigment cells but a simple response to total illumination striking the eye. Thus, this mechanical adaptation of the eye probably plays a larger role in visual adjustments to light intensity than has been formerly believed.

This publication has 3 references indexed in Scilit: