Submicroscopic structure of the compound eye as revealed by electron microscopy.

The submicroscopic structure of the ommatidium and periopticon of the adult Drosophila virilis has been studied in thin tissue sections by electron microscopy. The rhabdomere of the compound eye is composed of two segments, a distal segment with a homogeneous structure and a proximal segment with a lamellar or polygonally reticular structure. The submicroscopic structure of the rhabdomere is compared with that of the vertebrate retinal rod cell. The present observations lend support to the idea that the proximal segment of the rhabdomere consists of tightly packed tubules or rods which are arranged perpendicularly or obliquely to the long axis of the rhabdomere. The ommatidium comes in close contact with the non-medullated nerve fibers through discontinuities in the basement membrane. The periopticon, which consists of ganglion cells and a complex synaptic apparatus, is demonstrated at a low magnification.

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