• Applied Microscopy
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• v.37 no.1
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• pp.35-42
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• 2007

The late pupal stage of Drosophila melanogaster occurs immediately before the completion of retinal development, during which the rhabdomere rapidly forms. In this period, the photoreceptor cells were fixed and dehydrated using a high-pressure freezer (HPF) and freeze substitution (FS) technique, which is the most effective in preserving the cell structures, and observed using high-voltage electron microscopy (HVEM) at 1000 KV. The rhabdomere was classified structurally into three types of formation patterns using stereo-tiling image of thick sections. Initially, hexagonal arrays of rhabdomere existed in different angles. In addition, small pieces of rhabdomere could be observed in the cytoplasm of the photoreceptor rolls, which were visible during the profess of rhabdomere formation. In addition, multiple layers of rhabdomere strings were observed. We observed there are at least three types of vesicles related to rhabdomere formation in photoreceptor cells. In addition, it was found that these vesicles initiate the formation of the rhabdomeres during the pupal stage. Collectively, these data suggest that rhabdomeres were mainly formed through vesicles, and that parts of the rhabdomere formed first and then gathered and formed rhabdomeres in the late pupal stage.

• Applied Microscopy
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.27-34
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• 1969

The compound eyes of the adult Drosophila melanogaster were. fixed in 1.25 per cent glutaraldehyde and 1 per cent osmium tetroxide buffered with sodium cacodylate at pH 7.2. Double fixed specimens were dehydrated using the alcohol series and embedded in Epon 812. They were sectioned with porter blum and JUM 5B ultra-microtome and then stained with lead hydrooxide and uranyl acetate. All thin sections were examined with Hitachi HS-7 or HU-11 electron microscope. The rhabdomere of the compound eye is composed of numerous microvilli packed, arranged, and projected from inner edge of each retinal cell. Each microvillus consisted of a centrum, about $82{\AA}$ in diameter, surrounded by the substances, about $105{\AA}$ in width, which were bounded with double membrane about $44{\AA}$ in thickness. In each inner edge of the microvilli, there was a cylinder, about $175{\AA}$ in diameter, in parallel with retinal cells, which contained a cylindrical axis about $583{\AA}$ in diameter. The surface of the outer edges .of .the microvilli was bounded with reticullar substances about $500{\AA}$ in thickness.

• Applied Microscopy
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• v.32 no.1
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• pp.17-30
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• 2002

The retinae of Todarodes pacificus and Octopus minor are divided into four layers that are an outer segment, a rod base region, an inner segment, and a plexiform layer, respectively. The retina of Octopus minor is about $20{\mu}m$ thicker ($400{\sim}420{\mu}m$) than that of Todarodes pacificus ($385{\sim}400{\mu}m$). A retina is composed of visual cells and supporting cells. The microvilli of length $0.6{\sim}0.7{\mu}m$ are packed densely on top of the supporting cells of Octopus minor while they are not found in Todarodes pacificus. The visual cells and supporting cells have pigment granules that exclude light. In case of Todarodes pacificus, the pigment granules of the visual cell are larger ($2.0{\times}0.5{\mu}m$) than those of the supporting cell ($1.0{\times}0.3{\mu}m$). But, the sizes of both cells are similar in Octopus minor. In the upper portion of a visual cell, microvilli shaped like a comb are forming a rhabdome (diameter, 60 nm) of a hexagonal structure. The rhabdome consists of 4 rhabdomere and the total area of a rhabdom of Octopus minor is larger than that of Todarodes pacificus. The synaptosome constructing a plexiform layer in Todarodes pacificus are divided into two types, each of which possess electron dense-core vesicles and electron lucent vesicles, respectively. Octopus minor also has two types of synaptosomes but each type comprises a mixture of electron dense vesicles and electron lucent vesicles, and electron lucent vesicles only, respectively, which is different from the case of Todarodes pacificus.

• Applied Microscopy
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.1-11
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• 1979

Electron microscopic studies were carried out to investigate the fine structure of ommatidia of the compound eyes in Meimuna mongolica D. The crystalline cone appears round, and is composed of four double-membraned cone cells and surrounded by pigment cells having many pigment granules. The rhabdom is a closed type, and is composed of four rhabdomeres Its cross section reveals lamellated microvilli which are oriented in four different directions suggesting that these represent four photoreceptive sites. The microvilli, in a cross sectional view, are hexagonal in shape with a central axis inside. There are usually eight retinular cells arranged radially from the rhabdom, but in some retinular layers seven or nine retinular cells could be observed. The cytoplasm of each retinular cell is interconnected with that of microvilli of the rhabdomere, but the appearance of this interconnection varies depending on the number of retinular cells.'The retinlilar cells neighboring the microvilli seem to have well-developed perirhabdomal vacuoles and mitochondria as well as pigment granules surrounding these vacuoles.

• Applied Microscopy
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.1-9
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• 1994

Pardosa astrigera possessed eight eyes arranged in three rows on the frontal carapace. A pair of small anterior lateral eyes (ALE) flanked each side by an anterior median eyes (AME) lay along the anterior margin that was situated on the anterior row of clypeus. The anterior lateral eye was composed of cornea, vitreous body, and retina. Cornea was made up mainly of exocuticle lining the cuticle. Lens in anterior lateral eye was biconvex type which bulged into the cavity of the eyecup. Outer and inner central region of lens were approximately spherical with radius of curvature $5.6{\mu}m$ and $12.5{\mu}m$, respectly. Vitreous body formed a layer between the cuticular lens and retina. They formed biconcave shape. Retina of the anterior lateral eyes was composed of three types of cells: visual cells, glia cells, and pigment cells. The visual cells were unipolar neuron, as were the receptor of the posterior lateral eye. But cell body was unique to the anterior lateral eyes. They were giant cell, relatively a few in number, and under the layer of vitreous bodies. Each visual cell healed rhabdomeres for a short stretch beneath the cell body. Rhabdomes were irregulary pattern in retina and electron dense pigment granules scattered between the rhabdomes. Glia cell situated at the cell body of visual cell and glia cell process reached to rhabdomere portion. Below the rhabdome, tapetum were about $30{\mu}m$ distance from lens, which composed of 4-5 layers. It was about $25{\mu}m$ length that intermediate segment of distal portion of visual cell. Electron dense pigment granules between the intermediate segment were observed.