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Change of ultraviolet light transmittance in growing chicken and quail eyes

Olsson, Peter LU ; Mitkus, Mindaugas LU and Lind, Olle LU (2016) In Journal of Comparative Physiology A 202(5). p.329-335
Abstract

The ocular media transmittance (OMT), the amount of light transmitted by the ocular media (the cornea, aqueous humour, lens and vitreous humour) to the retina, determines the sensitivity of vertebrate eyes to short-wavelength light, such as ultraviolet (UV). Earlier, we have measured the OMT of adult birds from a range of species and found that smaller eyes transmitted more UV-light to the retina than larger eyes. In the current study we measured OMT during post-hatch development in Japanese quails and domestic chickens. We show that in both species, OMT decreases as the eye size increases similarly to that what was found across various species, but that quails have lower OMT than expected from eye size. In both species, lens... (More)

The ocular media transmittance (OMT), the amount of light transmitted by the ocular media (the cornea, aqueous humour, lens and vitreous humour) to the retina, determines the sensitivity of vertebrate eyes to short-wavelength light, such as ultraviolet (UV). Earlier, we have measured the OMT of adult birds from a range of species and found that smaller eyes transmitted more UV-light to the retina than larger eyes. In the current study we measured OMT during post-hatch development in Japanese quails and domestic chickens. We show that in both species, OMT decreases as the eye size increases similarly to that what was found across various species, but that quails have lower OMT than expected from eye size. In both species, lens transmittance decreases linearly with lens thickness suggesting that UV-transmittance through the lenses is not actively controlled, but instead determined by UV-absorbance and scattering that occur in all biological tissues. Contrary to earlier assumptions of high cornea transmittance, we found that cornea transmittance is more variable, substantially influencing whole eye transmittance in all age groups of quail and in young chickens. It seems that additional absorbing pigments are used to more actively control cornea transmittance and thereby also overall OMT.

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author
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organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Absorbance, Development, Ocular media, Pigment, Vision
in
Journal of Comparative Physiology A
volume
202
issue
5
pages
7 pages
publisher
Springer
external identifiers
  • scopus:84962257636
  • pmid:27025934
  • wos:000374568600001
ISSN
0340-7594
DOI
10.1007/s00359-016-1080-5
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
ca7fd96a-62d2-4a84-984c-35a66042c884
date added to LUP
2016-05-10 12:11:50
date last changed
2024-01-04 03:19:33
@article{ca7fd96a-62d2-4a84-984c-35a66042c884,
  abstract     = {{<p>The ocular media transmittance (OMT), the amount of light transmitted by the ocular media (the cornea, aqueous humour, lens and vitreous humour) to the retina, determines the sensitivity of vertebrate eyes to short-wavelength light, such as ultraviolet (UV). Earlier, we have measured the OMT of adult birds from a range of species and found that smaller eyes transmitted more UV-light to the retina than larger eyes. In the current study we measured OMT during post-hatch development in Japanese quails and domestic chickens. We show that in both species, OMT decreases as the eye size increases similarly to that what was found across various species, but that quails have lower OMT than expected from eye size. In both species, lens transmittance decreases linearly with lens thickness suggesting that UV-transmittance through the lenses is not actively controlled, but instead determined by UV-absorbance and scattering that occur in all biological tissues. Contrary to earlier assumptions of high cornea transmittance, we found that cornea transmittance is more variable, substantially influencing whole eye transmittance in all age groups of quail and in young chickens. It seems that additional absorbing pigments are used to more actively control cornea transmittance and thereby also overall OMT.</p>}},
  author       = {{Olsson, Peter and Mitkus, Mindaugas and Lind, Olle}},
  issn         = {{0340-7594}},
  keywords     = {{Absorbance; Development; Ocular media; Pigment; Vision}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  month        = {{05}},
  number       = {{5}},
  pages        = {{329--335}},
  publisher    = {{Springer}},
  series       = {{Journal of Comparative Physiology A}},
  title        = {{Change of ultraviolet light transmittance in growing chicken and quail eyes}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00359-016-1080-5}},
  doi          = {{10.1007/s00359-016-1080-5}},
  volume       = {{202}},
  year         = {{2016}},
}