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. 2009 Jun 11;3:2. doi: 10.3389/neuro.03.002.2009

Figure 1.

Figure 1

The morphology and optics of the compound eye. (A) The compound eye of Musca and the visual ganglionic layers: a schematic representation of a horizontal section. Inset – Schematic representation of the distal area of a single ommatidium. C – corneal lens, PC – pseudocone, RZ – retinula cells (photoreceptor), PZ – pigment cells, K – rhabdomere cap, SZ – Semper cells, Rh – rhabdomere, La – lamina, Me – medulla (modified from Kirschfeld, 1967). (B,C) Electron microscopic (EM) cross-section of Drosophila ommatidia and a rhabdomere at the upper region of the photoreceptors respectively. M – microvilli, SMC – submicrovillar cisternae, N – nucleus (modified from Minke and Selinger, 1996). (D) Optical properties of a single ommatidium demonstrated by “antidromic” illumination in Musca when a 30 μm diaphragm is placed over a single ommatidium seen when focused at the cornea (0 μm). Inverted images of the rhabdomere tips are seen when focusing above the cornea (1000 μm and 500 μm) and upright images below the cornea (−500 ຼm and −1000 μm). The optical path is shown on the right, F – focal plane, H – main plane, K – junction, a – outer, i – inner (modified from Kirschfeld and Franceschini, 1968).