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Some conjectures on the design of a rod outer segment
1Department of Biophysical Sciences, University at Buffalo, State University of New York 14214.
Biological Cybernetics
|January 1, 1990
Abstract:
Photoreceptor diameter and spacing have been extensively analyzed with respect to diffraction, wave-guiding and other phenomena and have been found to be consistent with optimal design criteria. Photoreceptor length, on the other hand, has received but little attention. It is proposed here that the outer segment length of rods is optimal with respect to the competing demands of maximal photon absorption and minimal noise. This is borne out by our calculations based on the experimental data.