Biomaterial Database

Bifoveal vision in anolis lizards. 1981

K V Fite, and B C Lister

The retinas of 14 ecologically diverse species of Anolis lizards have been examined neuroanatomically. Both central and temporal foveas were observed in each eye of all species: however, the two foveas differed with regard to a number of structural and morphological characteristics. All central foveas were deep and convexiclivate, while temporal foveas were shallower and more variable both in shape and retinal location across species. Central foveas had higher cell densities and a broader foveal clivus than did temporal foveas both within and across species. As eye size increased across species, densities of receptor nuclei per visual degree2 (vis. deg.2) increased more rapidly than did ganglion cell densities/vis, deg.2 in the central fovea. In contrast, both cell types increased at approximately the same rate in the temporal fovea as eye size increased. Several of these relationships have been previously reported for diurnal birds of prey, which are also bifoveate. of stomach contents revealed that Anolis species which feed upon small prey items have temporal foveas with a relatively deep clivus. Foveal characteristics may influence both species typical foraging behaviors and the type of prey which can be effectively utilized by a given species.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D008116	Lizards	Reptiles within the order Squamata that generally possess limbs, moveable EYELIDS, and EXTERNAL EAR openings, although there are some species which lack one or more of these structures.	Chameleons,Geckos,Chameleon,Gecko,Lizard
D008266	Macula Lutea	An oval area in the retina, 3 to 5 mm in diameter, usually located temporal to the posterior pole of the eye and slightly below the level of the optic disk. It is characterized by the presence of a yellow pigment diffusely permeating the inner layers, contains the fovea centralis in its center, and provides the best phototropic visual acuity. It is devoid of retinal blood vessels, except in its periphery, and receives nourishment from the choriocapillaris of the choroid. (From Cline et al., Dictionary of Visual Science, 4th ed)	Lutea, Macula,Luteas, Macula,Macula Luteas
D008297	Male		Males
D009474	Neurons	The basic cellular units of nervous tissue. Each neuron consists of a body, an axon, and dendrites. Their purpose is to receive, conduct, and transmit impulses in the NERVOUS SYSTEM.	Nerve Cells,Cell, Nerve,Cells, Nerve,Nerve Cell,Neuron
D010786	Photoreceptor Cells	Specialized cells that detect and transduce light. They are classified into two types based on their light reception structure, the ciliary photoreceptors and the rhabdomeric photoreceptors with MICROVILLI. Ciliary photoreceptor cells use OPSINS that activate a PHOSPHODIESTERASE phosphodiesterase cascade. Rhabdomeric photoreceptor cells use opsins that activate a PHOSPHOLIPASE C cascade.	Ciliary Photoreceptor Cells,Ciliary Photoreceptors,Rhabdomeric Photoreceptor Cells,Rhabdomeric Photoreceptors,Cell, Ciliary Photoreceptor,Cell, Photoreceptor,Cell, Rhabdomeric Photoreceptor,Cells, Ciliary Photoreceptor,Cells, Photoreceptor,Cells, Rhabdomeric Photoreceptor,Ciliary Photoreceptor,Ciliary Photoreceptor Cell,Photoreceptor Cell,Photoreceptor Cell, Ciliary,Photoreceptor Cell, Rhabdomeric,Photoreceptor Cells, Ciliary,Photoreceptor Cells, Rhabdomeric,Photoreceptor, Ciliary,Photoreceptor, Rhabdomeric,Photoreceptors, Ciliary,Photoreceptors, Rhabdomeric,Rhabdomeric Photoreceptor,Rhabdomeric Photoreceptor Cell
D011235	Predatory Behavior	Instinctual behavior pattern in which food is obtained by killing and consuming other species.	Predation,Behavior, Predatory,Predatory Behaviors
D012160	Retina	The ten-layered nervous tissue membrane of the eye. It is continuous with the OPTIC NERVE and receives images of external objects and transmits visual impulses to the brain. Its outer surface is in contact with the CHOROID and the inner surface with the VITREOUS BODY. The outer-most layer is pigmented, whereas the inner nine layers are transparent.	Ora Serrata
D002452	Cell Count	The number of CELLS of a specific kind, usually measured per unit volume or area of sample.	Cell Density,Cell Number,Cell Counts,Cell Densities,Cell Numbers,Count, Cell,Counts, Cell,Densities, Cell,Density, Cell,Number, Cell,Numbers, Cell
D005584	Fovea Centralis	An area approximately 1.5 millimeters in diameter within the macula lutea where the retina thins out greatly because of the oblique shifting of all layers except the pigment epithelium layer. It includes the sloping walls of the fovea (clivus) and contains a few rods in its periphery. In its center (foveola) are the cones most adapted to yield high visual acuity, each cone being connected to only one ganglion cell. (Cline et al., Dictionary of Visual Science, 4th ed)
D000818	Animals	Unicellular or multicellular, heterotrophic organisms, that have sensation and the power of voluntary movement. Under the older five kingdom paradigm, Animalia was one of the kingdoms. Under the modern three domain model, Animalia represents one of the many groups in the domain EUKARYOTA.	Animal,Metazoa,Animalia