scholarly journals Spike Potentials Recorded from the Insect Photoreceptor

1962 ◽  
Vol 45 (4) ◽  
pp. 663-680 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kén-Ichi Naka ◽  
Eisuke Eguchi

Slow and spike potentials were recorded from single cells in the receptor layer of the compound eye of the drone of the honeybee. From electron microscopic observation of the drone ommatidium, it was concluded that the response had been recorded from the retinula cell. The following hypothesis is suggested for the initiation of spike potentials in the drone compound eye: Photic stimulation results in a decrease in the resistance of all or part of the retinula cell membrane, giving rise to the retinal action potential. The retinal action potential causes outflow of the current through the proximal process of the cell. This depolarizing current initiates spike potentials in the proximal process or axon of the retinula cell which are recorded across the soma membrane of the retinula cell.

1961 ◽  
Vol 44 (3) ◽  
pp. 571-584 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kén-Ichi Naka

Electrical responses were recorded intracellularly from the compound eyes of a fly (Lucilia) and of several dragonflies (Copera, Agriocnemis, and Lestes). An ommatidium of the dragonflies is made up of four retinula cells and a rhabdom composed of three rhabdomeres while the Lucilia has an ommatidium of seven independent retinula cells and rhabdomeres. The intracellular responses presumably recorded from the retinula cell had the same wave form in the two groups of insects: The responses were composed of two components or phases, a transient spike-like potential and a slow one maintained during illumination. The membrane potential, in the range of -25 to -70 mv., was influenced by the level of adaptation, and it was transiently depolarized to zero by high levels of illumination.


Author(s):  
Li Li-Sheng ◽  
L.F. Allard ◽  
W.C. Bigelow

The aromatic polyamides form a class of fibers having mechanical properties which are much better than those of aliphatic polyamides. Currently, the accepted morphology of these fibers as proposed by M.G. Dobb, et al. is a radial arrangement of pleated sheets, with the plane of the pleats parallel to the axis of the fiber. We have recently obtained evidence which supports a different morphology of this type of fiber, using ultramicrotomy and ion-thinning techniques to prepare specimens for transmission and scanning electron microscopy.


Author(s):  
Neng-Bo He ◽  
S.W. Hui

Monolayers and planar "black" lipid membranes have been widely used as models for studying the structure and properties of biological membranes. Because of the lack of a suitable method to prepare these membranes for electron microscopic observation, their ultrastructure is so far not well understood. A method of forming molecular bilayers over the holes of fine mesh grids was developed by Hui et al. to study hydrated and unsupported lipid bilayers by electron diffraction, and to image phase separated domains by diffraction contrast. We now adapted the method of Pattus et al. of spreading biological membranes vesicles on the air-water interfaces to reconstitute biological membranes into unsupported planar films for electron microscopic study. hemoglobin-free human erythrocyte membrane stroma was prepared by hemolysis. The membranes were spreaded at 20°C on balanced salt solution in a Langmuir trough until a surface pressure of 20 dyne/cm was reached. The surface film was repeatedly washed by passing to adjacent troughs over shallow partitions (fig. 1).


Author(s):  
D.J. Lim ◽  
W.C. Lane

The morphology and function of the vestibular sensory organs has been extensively studied during the last decade with the advent of electron microscopy and electrophysiology. The opening of the space age also accelerated active investigation in this area, since this organ is responsible for the sensation of balance and of linear, angular and gravitational acceleration.The vestibular sense organs are formed by the saccule, utricle and three ampullae of the semicircular canals. The maculae (sacculi and utriculi) have otolithic membranes on the top of the sensory epithelia. The otolithic membrane is formed by a layer of thick gelatin and sand-piles of calcium carbonate crystals (Fig.l).


Author(s):  
Shrikant P. Bhat

deformation behavior of Al-Cu alloys aged to contain θ ' has been the subject of many investigations (e.g., Ref. 1-5). Since θ ' is strong and hard, dislocations bypass θ ' plates (Orowan mechanism) at low strains. However, at high strains the partially coherent θ ' plates are probably sheared, although the mechanism is complex, depending on the form of deformation. Particularly, the cyclic straining of the bulk alloy is known to produce gross bends and twists of θ '. However, no detailed investigation of the deformation of θ ' has yet been reported; moreover, Calabrese and Laird interpreted the deformation of θ ' as largely being elastic.During an investigation of high temperature cyclic deformation, the detailed electron-microscopic observation revealed that, under reversed straining conditions, θ ' particles are severely distorted--bent and twisted depending on the local matrix constraint. A typical electronmicrograph, showing the twist is shown in Fig. 1. In order to establish whether the deformation is elastic or plastic, a sample from a specimen cycled at room temperature was heated inside the microscope and the results are presented in a series of micrographs (Fig. 2a-e).


Author(s):  
Tokio Nei ◽  
Haruo Yotsumoto ◽  
Yoichi Hasegawa ◽  
Yuji Nagasawa

In order to observe biological specimens in their native state, that is, still containing their water content, various methods of specimen preparation have been used, the principal two of which are the chamber method and the freeze method.Using its recently developed cold stage for installation in the pre-evacuation chamber of a scanning electron microscope, we have succeeded in directly observing a biological specimen in its frozen state without the need for such conventional specimen preparation techniques as drying and metallic vacuum evaporation. (Echlin, too, has reported on the observation of surface structures using the same freeze method.)In the experiment referred to herein, a small sliced specimen was place in the specimen holder. After it was rapidly frozen by freon cooled with liquid nitrogen, it was inserted into the cold stage of the specimen chamber.


Author(s):  
R.P. Nayyar ◽  
C.F. Lange ◽  
J. L. Borke

Streptococcal cell membrane (SCM) antiserum injected mice show a significant thickening of glomerular basement membrane (GBM) and an increase in mesangial matrix within 4 to 24 hours of antiserum administration (1,2,3). This study was undertaken to evaluate the incorporation of 3H proline into glomerular cells and GBM under normal and anti-SCM induced conditions. Mice were administered, intraperitoneally, 0.1 ml of normal or anti-SCM serum followed by a 10 µC/g body weight injection of 3H proline. Details of the preparation of anti-SCM (Group A type 12 streptococcal pyogenes) and other sera and injection protocol have been described elsewhere (2). After 15 minutes of isotope injection a chase of cold proline was given and animal sacrificed at 20 minutes, 1,2,4,8,24 and 48 hours. One of the removed kidneys was processed for immunofluorescence, light and electron microscopic radioautographic studies; second kidney was used for GBM isolation and aminoacid analysis.


Author(s):  
N. Kohyama ◽  
K. Fukushima ◽  
A. Fukami

Since the interlayer or adsorbed water of some clay minerals are quite easily dehydrated in dried air, in vacuum, or at moderate temperatures even in the atmosphere, the hydrated forms have not been observed by a conventional electron microscope(TEM). Recently, specific specimen chambers, “environmental cells(E.C.),” have been developed and confirmed to be effective for electron microscopic observation of wet specimen without dehydration. we observed hydrated forms of some clay minerals and their morphological changes by dehydration using a TEM equipped with an E.C..The E.C., equipped with a single hole copper-microgrid sealed by thin carbon-film, attaches to a TEM(JEM 7A) with an accelerating voltage 100KV and both gas pressure (from 760 Torr to vacuum) and relative humidity can be controlled. The samples collected from various localities in Japan were; tubular halloysite (l0Å) from Gumma Prefecture, sperical halloysite (l0Å) from Tochigi Pref., and intermediate halloysite containing both tubular and spherical types from Fukushima Pref..


1981 ◽  
Vol 45 (01) ◽  
pp. 090-094 ◽  
Author(s):  
Katsuo Sueishi ◽  
Shigeru Nanno ◽  
Kenzo Tanaka

SummaryFibrinogen degradation products were investigated for leukocyte chemotactic activity and for enhancement of vascular permeability. Both activities increased progressively with plasmin digestion of fibrinogen. Active fragments were partially purified from 24 hr-plasmin digests. Molecular weights of the permeability increasing and chemotactic activity fractions were 25,000-15,000 and 25,000 respectively. Both fractions had much higher activities than the fragment X, Y, D or E. Electron microscopic observation of the small blood vessels in rabbit skin correlated increased permeability with the formation of characteristic gaps between adjoining endothelial cells and their contraction.These findings suggest that lower molecular weight degradation products of fibrinogen may be influential in contributing to granulocytic infiltration and enhanced permeability in lesions characterized by deposits of fibrin and/or fibrinogen.


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