Summary
The Limulus ommatidial potential, as recorded with intracellular microelectrodes, can be divided into three components. These components do not occur in the same portion of the ommatidium. During dark adaptation one can plot the height of the response evoked by a constant stimulus presented at regular intervals of time after the adapting light is removed. Hyperpolarizing current influences the shape of the curve obtained by this means.
Increasing potassium ion concentration in the external medium reduces the height of the ommatidial potential. The steady component is decreased more by high potassium than the final component. Removing calcium ion from the medium abolishes the transient component.
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The initial part of this work was supported by National Science Foundation Grants G-922 and G-3321 to Johns Hopkins University and G-14030 to George Washington University. The final part was supported by Research Task MR 005.04-0013 from the Bureau of Medicine and Surgery, Navy Department.
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Yeandle, S.S. Some properties of the components of the limulus ommatidial potential. Kybernetik 3, 250–254 (1967). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00288555
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00288555