Fluorescence of Photoreceptor Cells Observed in Vivo

Abstract

Most rhabdomeres in the eye of the fly (Musca domestica) are fluorescent. One kind of fluorescent emission emanates from a photoproduct of the visual pigment, other kinds may be ascribed to photostable pigments. These phenomena provide not only a means of spectrally mapping the retina but also a new spectroscopic tool for analyzing the primary visual processes in vivo.