Summary
The fine structure and cellular associations of the large pigment cells (LPC's) of the compound eye of the house fly were studied with high voltage and conventional electron microscopy. Depending on the sector of the compound eye, the facets are either rectangular or hexagonal. The underside of each facet has indentations exactly aligned with those on top into which inserts an angulated sleeve of LPC's. Under the rectangular lens facet 6 or 8 small compact (in cross section) LPC's join four elongate LPC's. Clusters of compact cells alternate in this ring with elongate ones. Compact cells compress together and become quadrangular (in cross section) several microns below their insertion into the lens and form “building block” corners while elongate cells form “side rails” for the rectangular type of distal pseudocone enclosure. Beneath hexagonal facets all LPC's are rather elongate with out corner cells. In both facet types LPC's enclose the pseudocone for a longitudinal distance of 4 μm and then are displaced as bordering cells by a sleeve of two corneal pigment cells (CPC's), each of which encloses half of the proximal pseudocone. For the following 6 μm of longitudinal distance these concentric sleeves of CPC's and LPC's form a double layer around the pseudocone. At about 10 μm below lens base the two sleeves separate; LPC's become attenuated and extend cable-like to the basement membrane and CPC's enclose the proximal pseudocone, Semper cells and distal retinula. The junction between lens and LPC's has critical structural value in that (1) this is the sole anchorage to the lens by the lengthy remainder of the ommatidium, and (2) LPC's enclose the semiliquid pseudocone in the most distal portion of the pseudocone. In addition to vertical support, the LPC's send out numerous lateral processes that make structural contact among themselves, with the corneal pigment cells and the photoreceptor cells. The structural features of this array are discussed relative to possible physiological roles.
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The authors are particularly thankful for support from the University of Wisconsin Graduate School, Project 160392 and to the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences, Hatch Project No. 1916. Mr. Gary Gaard graciously assisted in the TEM work and Mr. Martin Garment provided darkroom assistance. As to the HVEM, we express appreciation to the following members of the Department of Zoology: Professor Hans Ris, for consent to scope usage; Associate Professor Dale E. Johnson, Physicist-in-charge, and Dr. Damien S. Neuberger, Specialist. Thanks are extended to Professor Robert J. Dicke, Department of Entomology, who kindly provided a critical reading of the manuscript
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Chi, C., Carlson, S.D. The large pigment cell of the compound eye of the house fly Musca domestica . Cell Tissue Res. 170, 77–88 (1976). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00220111
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00220111