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Journal of Experimental Biology 96,389-403 (1982)
Published by Company of Biologists 1982

The Function of Photomechanical Movements in the Retina of the Rainbow Trout (Salmo Gairdneri)

R. H. DOUGLAS ¹

¹ Department of Biology, University of Stirling, Stirling FK9 4LA, Scotland; Universität Ulm, Abt, Klinische Morphologie, 79 Ulm (Donau), Nebau Oberer Eselsberg, West Germany.

1. The function of photomechanical movements in the retina of rainbow trout (Salmo gairdneri) was investigated by determining both the effect of light on the level of extractable visual pigment, and the electroretinographic b-wave sensitivity, during various stages of photomechanical light and dark adaptation.

2. Dark-adapted fish, light-adapted fish, and dark-adapted fish exposed to ten minutes direct sunlight had on average visual pigment concentrations of 100, 82 and 36% respectively.

3. The intensity of illumination required to bleach a specified amount of visual pigment in the light-adapted retina was found to be 1.29 log units higher than that needed to bleach the same amount of visual pigment in a dark-adapted eye.

4. The level of extractable visual pigment was observed to be relatively constant over natural twilight periods.

5. A close temporal correlation was observed between the time course of electroretinographic adaptation, measured by the b-wave sensitivity, and photomechanical changes.

6. All these observations tend to support the hypothesis that photomechanical movements serve, at least in part, to protect the rod visual pigment from overstimulation in the light-adapted retina.

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