Summary
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1.
Light and dark adaptation in single visual cells ofAeschna cyanea were examined by intracellular recording of the receptor potentials. A description of the characteristics of the receptor potential is given in Figs. 3 and 4.
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2.
A light stimulus of several seconds (light adaptation) is succeeded by an afterpotential of the receptor potential. In most cells, this afterpotential represents a decrease of the depolarization (Pig. 5) until the resting potential is recovered. Some cells, however, show temporary hyperpolarization during the afterpotential (Fig. 7a).
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3.
The course of the dark adaptation was determined by test stimuli. This means that the sensitivity of the receptor was measured during the dark adaptation period. The afterpotential cannot be regarded as standard for the sensitivity of the receptor. The sensitivity will as well increase during the hyperpolarization period of an afterpotential. Even if after light adaptation the receptor potential has returned to the level of the resting potential, the sensitivity may still be lower than at maximum dark adaptation. Receptor potential and sensitivity for light stimuli do not correlate.
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4.
The maximum change of the sensitivity of a visual cell, caused by adaptation, is given by the factor 103.
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5.
The dark adaptation is accelerated if the test stimuli during the dark adaptation are of higher intensity (Fig. 14). This is probably connected with reisomerization of the visual pigment by light, but limited, however, to stimuli of an intensity which is not high enough to cause light adaptation for its part (Figs. 9, 10).
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6.
The visual cells of the ventral eye region are slightly more sensitive than the dorsal ones (Fig. 14).
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Supported by a grant of the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft.
The authors would like to thank the Institute's Laboratory team, Mr. J. Weber, Mr. Th. Zaschka, and Mr. H. Hein for designing and preparing the necessary equipment. They are particularly grateful to Mrs. M. Meinecke for her exact technical work and to Miss F. Althaus for the drawings.
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Autrum, H., Kolb, G. The dark adaptation in single visual cells of the compound eye ofAeschna cyanea . J. Comp. Physiol. 79, 213–232 (1972). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00694218
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00694218