The utility of micro-computed tomography for the non-destructive study of eye microstructure in snails.

ABSTRACT: Molluscan eyes exhibit an enormous range of morphological variation, ranging from tiny pigment-cup eyes in limpets, compound eyes in ark clams and pinhole eyes in Nautilus, through to concave mirror eyes in scallops and the large camera-type eyes of the more derived cephalopods. Here we assess the potential of non-destructive micro-computed tomography (µ-CT) for investigating the anatomy of molluscan eyes in three species of the family Solariellidae, a group of small, deep-sea gastropods. We compare our results directly with those from traditional histological methods applied to the same specimens, and show not only that eye microstructure can be visualised in sufficient detail for meaningful comparison even in very small animals, but also that μ-CT can provide additional insight into gros

SUBMITTER: Sumner-Rooney L 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6817935 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature