Linked Life Data

9892424

Source:http://linkedlifedata.com/resource/pubmed/id/9892424

Statements in which the resource exists as a subject.
PredicateObject
rdf:type
lifeskim:mentions
pubmed:issue
1
pubmed:dateCreated
1999-4-2
pubmed:abstractText
The infrared sensory membranes of the pit organs of pit vipers have an extremely rich capillary vasculature, which has been noted passim in the literature, but never illustrated or studied in detail. We rendered the pit vasculature visible in various ways, namely, by microinjection of India ink, by a combination of ink and succinate dehydrogenase staining, and by making resin casts for scanning electron microscope study. We also used transmission electron microscopy for identifying the types (arterioles, venules, capillaries) of blood vessels. Then we compared the pit vasculature with that of the retina and the dermis. Good visualization of the vasculature was obtained with both ink and resin injection. Arterioles, venules, and capillaries could be distinguished with all methods used. The monolayer vasculature was denser in the pit membrane than in the retina or skin. Each loop of the network enclosed a small number of infrared receptors so that all receptors were in contact with a capillary on at least one side. The forward-looking areas of the pit had a denser network than side-looking areas. Since infrared rays cause nerve impulses by raising the temperature of individual receptors, the capillary network functions not only as a supplier of energy but also as a cooling mechanism to reduce afterimages. Thus the denser network in the forward-looking areas causes these areas to be more sensitive and have better image resolution than the rest of the membrane.
pubmed:language
eng
pubmed:journal
pubmed:citationSubset
IM
pubmed:status
MEDLINE
pubmed:month
Jan
pubmed:issn
0003-276X
pubmed:author
pubmed:issnType
Print
pubmed:volume
254
pubmed:owner
NLM
pubmed:authorsComplete
Y
pubmed:pagination
107-15
pubmed:dateRevised
2008-11-21
pubmed:meshHeading
pubmed:year
1999
pubmed:articleTitle
Microvasculature of crotaline snake pit organs: possible function as a heat exchange mechanism.
pubmed:affiliation
Department of Anatomy, Yokohama City University School of Medicine, Yokohama, Japan.
pubmed:publicationType
Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't