The morphology of the eyes of Limulus

Summary The Limulus ommatidium consists of 4 to 20 retinula cells surrounding the dendrite of the eccentric cell. Adjoining membranes are differentiated into the microvillous rhabdome in the central area of the ommatidium. Three types of pigment cells envelop the sensory cells. The distal pigment cells cover the periphery of the distal half of the ommatidium; proximal pigment cells (beneath the base of the ommatidium) and intraommatidial pigment cells provide glial wrapping for the sensory cells, the partitions between them, and the peripheral loose framework. Processes of the overlying cone cells penetrate into the ommatidium and lie at the edges of the rhabdomal fins. Numerous neurosecretory axons terminate at all levels of the ommatidium on pigment cells, conveyed there either by enveloping pigment cells or by separate neuroglial cells. Tight junctions in the ommatidium are confined to the contacts between rhabdomal miorovilli. The periphery of the rhabdome is surrounded by continuous adhering junctions except at the tip and exit of the eccentric cell dendrite. The discussion centers on possible correlations between known neurophysiological characteristics of ommatidial cells and significant morphological aspects of the ommatidium, such as distribution of supporting cells, extracellular space, and junctional specializations.This study constitutes publication No. 329 from the Oregon Regional Primate Research Center, supported by Grants FR00163 and NB07717-01 from the National Institutes of Health and by a Bob Hope Fight-for-Sight Grant-in-Aid of the National Council to Combat Blindness, Inc.The author wishes to thank Mrs. Audrey Griffin for patient and excellent technical assistance, Mr. Joel Ito for the execution of the drawing, and Dr. C. J. Russell for constructive criticism.