Crystalline Regions on the Axon Membrane Surface of Insect Photoreceptor Cells.

摘要

The ultrastructure of the compound eye of insects (Deilephila elpenor and Menduca sexta, Lepidoptera) has been studied with respect to surface morphology of the photoreceptor cell membrane in the rhabdomeric (distal) and axonal (proximal) regions respectively. This report describes a crystalline lattice found on the axonal membrane surface of the photoreceptor cells. The lattice seems to be specific to the electrically excitable part of the cell. The investigation has been carried out by freeze-etching and conventional electron microscopy techniques. (Author)