蜜蜂复眼的视觉通路研究进展

视觉通路的研究在神经科学、 仿生应用和医学治疗上都具有十分重要的意义。西方蜜蜂Apis mellifera作为神经生物学研究的重要模式生物已被广泛地应用于视觉通路的研究。蜜蜂的视觉器官包括1对复眼和3只单眼， 复眼是形成视觉的主要感觉器官。视叶是蜜蜂传递和处理视觉信息的主要神经构造， 它包括视神经节层、 视髓质层、 视小叶和前视结节4个等级的神经纤维网。复杂的视觉信息在经过大脑的各级神经时被分离， 以许多空间隔离的并行连续的视觉通路传递和加工， 然后汇集到高级脑中枢， 部分甚至与其他感觉模态的信息相整合， 最终输出有效信息来调控蜜蜂的各种行为。本文按照信息在视叶中逐级传递的顺序对蜜蜂复眼的视觉通路研究进展进行综述。

Progress in visual processing pathways in compound eyes of bees

Research on the visual processing pathways is of great significance in neuroscience,bionic applications and medical treatments.The western honeybee,Apis mellifera,as an important model organism for neurobiology research,has been extensively applied to the research on visual processing pathways.The visual organs of bees include a pair of compound eyes and three ocelli,in which the compound eyes are most important for vision formation.In bees,processing of visual information is achieved within the optic lobes which are divided into four levels of neuropils,i.e.,lamina,medulla,lobula and anterior optic tubercle.Complex visual information is segregated at successive stages within the brain,and processed in many parallel and sequential visual pathways.Then they are converged in higher-order brain centers,with some integrated with information of other modalities,which finally generate effective outputs to regulate and control bee behaviours.In this article,the research on visual processing pathways in bee compound eyes is reviewed according to the sequence of information processing in the optic lobes.