Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Photoreceptors and Visual Pathways01:22

Photoreceptors and Visual Pathways

8.2K
At the molecular level, visual signals trigger transformations in photopigment molecules, resulting in changes in the photoreceptor cell's membrane potential. The photon's energy level is denoted by its wavelength, with each specific wavelength of visible light associated with a distinct color. The spectral range of visible light, classified as electromagnetic radiation, spans from 380 to 720 nm. Electromagnetic radiation wavelengths exceeding 720 nm fall under the infrared category,...
8.2K
Anatomy of the Eyeball01:20

Anatomy of the Eyeball

8.3K
The eye is a spherical, hollow structure composed of three tissue layers. The outer layer — the fibrous tunic, comprises the sclera — a white structure — and the cornea, which is transparent. The sclera encompasses some of the ocular surface, most of which is not visible. However, the 'white of the eye' is distinctively visible in humans compared to other species. The cornea, a clear covering at the front of the eye, enables light penetration. The eye's middle...
8.3K

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Mechanistic Understanding of Pandemic Dynamics: A Multiscale Algorithmic Framework.

Life (Basel, Switzerland)·2026
Same author

Multiple broadly neutralizing antibody lineages can co-exist and mature in the same germinal centers.

Cell reports·2026
Same author

Early Immunological Biomarkers for Personalized Treatment Selection in Severe COVID-19: Post Hoc Machine Learning Analysis of a Randomized Clinical Trial.

JMIR medical informatics·2026
Same author

Delayed type I interferon response and the subsequent out-of-sequence cytokine signal inhibit T cell induction in non-surviving Ebola virus-infected patients.

Frontiers in immunology·2026
Same author

In silico investigation of the role of local and global inflammation-driven feedback in myelopoiesis and clonal cell expansion.

Journal of theoretical biology·2026
Same author

Effective Delocalization in the One-Dimensional Anderson Model with Stealthy Disorder.

Physical review letters·2026

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Apr 21, 2026

Author Spotlight: In-Depth Morphometric Examination and Quantification of Native Lens Structure Using Whole Mount Imaging
05:45

Author Spotlight: In-Depth Morphometric Examination and Quantification of Native Lens Structure Using Whole Mount Imaging

Published on: January 19, 2024

1.6K

Avian photoreceptor patterns represent a disordered hyperuniform solution to a multiscale packing problem.

Yang Jiao1, Timothy Lau2, Haralampos Hatzikirou3

  • 1Princeton Institute of the Science and Technology of Materials, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey 08540, USA and Materials Science and Engineering, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona 85287, USA.

Physical Review. E, Statistical, Nonlinear, and Soft Matter Physics
|October 30, 2014
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Bird retinas exhibit a unique "multihyperuniform" pattern, a disordered yet highly uniform arrangement of photoreceptor cells. This biological hyperuniformity, previously unseen in organisms, optimizes light sampling within packing constraints.

More Related Videos

Using Microwave and Macroscopic Samples of Dielectric Solids to Study the Photonic Properties of Disordered Photonic Bandgap Materials
10:35

Using Microwave and Macroscopic Samples of Dielectric Solids to Study the Photonic Properties of Disordered Photonic Bandgap Materials

Published on: September 26, 2014

11.2K
Optimized Protocol for Retinal Wholemount Preparation for Imaging and Immunohistochemistry
08:32

Optimized Protocol for Retinal Wholemount Preparation for Imaging and Immunohistochemistry

Published on: December 13, 2013

23.3K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Apr 21, 2026

Author Spotlight: In-Depth Morphometric Examination and Quantification of Native Lens Structure Using Whole Mount Imaging
05:45

Author Spotlight: In-Depth Morphometric Examination and Quantification of Native Lens Structure Using Whole Mount Imaging

Published on: January 19, 2024

1.6K
Using Microwave and Macroscopic Samples of Dielectric Solids to Study the Photonic Properties of Disordered Photonic Bandgap Materials
10:35

Using Microwave and Macroscopic Samples of Dielectric Solids to Study the Photonic Properties of Disordered Photonic Bandgap Materials

Published on: September 26, 2014

11.2K
Optimized Protocol for Retinal Wholemount Preparation for Imaging and Immunohistochemistry
08:32

Optimized Protocol for Retinal Wholemount Preparation for Imaging and Immunohistochemistry

Published on: December 13, 2013

23.3K

Area of Science:

  • Biological Physics
  • Vision Science
  • Materials Science

Background:

  • Optimal light sampling requires regular photoreceptor arrays, seen in insects and some vertebrates.
  • Avian photoreceptor patterns are not perfectly regular, despite birds' high visual acuity.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To analyze the spatial arrangement of photoreceptor cells in the chicken retina.
  • To investigate whether disordered avian photoreceptor patterns exhibit properties of physical systems like hyperuniformity.

Main Methods:

  • Analysis of the chicken cone photoreceptor system using microstructural descriptors.
  • Development of a 2D multiscale cell packing model to simulate photoreceptor interactions.

Main Results:

  • Chicken photoreceptor patterns, both total and by cell type, are "hyperuniform" – a rare physical property.
  • This is the first observation of hyperuniformity in a biological system, termed "multihyperuniform" due to multiple hyperuniform subsets.
  • A cell packing model explains this by repulsive forces between photoreceptor types.

Conclusions:

  • Disordered hyperuniformity represents the most uniform light sampling achievable in avian retinas given packing constraints.
  • Fundamental physical constraints can shape biological optimization processes.
  • Multihyperuniform structures have potential applications in designing novel materials.