- OT
- Science and vision
- Research
- Star gazing on the seafloor
Star gazing on the seafloor
Scallops have more than 200 eyes in an arrangement similar to a telescope
06 December 2017
Israeli and Swedish researchers have detailed the intricate visual structure of scallops in their study published in Science.
They describe how the molluscs have a visual system comprising up to 200 eyes, with each eye made from a concave mirror rather than a lens to focus light on two retinas.
This formation is similar to how telescopes use an array of mirrors to focus light.
“The tiled, off-axis mirror of the scallop eye bears a striking resemblance to the segmented mirrors of reflecting telescopes,” the authors highlighted.
The layered structure of the mirror in a scallop’s eye is tuned to reflect the wavelengths of light penetrating its habitat and is tiled with a mosaic of square guanine crystals, which reduces optical aberrations.
The research has the potential to aid the development of bio-inspired optical devices for imaging and sensing applications.
Image credit: Bernard Spragg
Comments (0)
You must be logged in to join the discussion. Log in