The time course of dark adaptation in the bee: a phototactic and electrophysiological investigation |
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Authors: | UTE KINDERMANN HORST HERTEL |
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Affiliation: | Institut für Tierphysiologie, Freie Universität Berlin, F.R.G. |
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Abstract: | ABSTRACT. The time course of dark adaptation in Apis melifera L. was investigated by analyses of phototactic behaviour and electroretinogram (ERG). The behavioural results give a function for dark adaptation showing that in the dark after strong light adaptation the sensitivity increases exponentially with a time constant of 3 min. The sensitivity changes c. 2.4 log units during the time span of 5–720 s. The electrophysiological results indicate a smaller change in sensitivity at the level of the photoreceptors. Within a time span between 20 and 720 s the sensitivity increases during dark adaptation by a factor of 4.3 on a linear scale. |
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Keywords: | Phototaxis dark-adaptation Apis melifera. |
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