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Related Experiment Videos

Photoperiodism in birds.

B K Follett, R G Foster, T J Nicholls

    Ciba Foundation Symposium
    |January 1, 1985
    PubMed
    Summary

    Birds utilize brain photoreceptors, not the retina, to detect light for seasonal reproduction. Their unique system suggests a rhodopsin-based photoreceptor sensitive to specific light wavelengths.

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    Area of Science:

    • * Chronobiology and Neuroendocrinology
    • * Avian Physiology and Photoreception

    Background:

    • * Birds exhibit circadian rhythms in melatonin secretion, influenced by photoperiod.
    • * Unlike mammals, birds may not use melatonin's seasonal message for reproductive control.
    • * Avian photoperiodic light detection occurs via brain photoreceptors, likely in the hypothalamus, not the retina.

    Purpose of the Study:

    • * To investigate the characteristics of avian brain photoreceptors involved in photoperiodism.
    • * To determine the spectral sensitivity and threshold of these receptors.
    • * To understand the neuroendocrine pathways mediating photoperiodic responses in birds.

    Main Methods:

    • * Obtained an action spectrum for quail brain photoreceptors.
    • * Measured sensitivity to 500 nm light.
    • * Investigated the effects of light pulses and electrical hypothalamic stimulation on gonadotropin secretion.

    Main Results:

    • * Quail brain photoreceptors show peak absorption at 492 nm, indicating a rhodopsin-based system.
    • * Receptor sensitivity to 500 nm light is 2 x 10(4) photons mm-2s-1.
    • * A 4-hour light pulse triggers a 10-day gonadotropin secretion, replaceable by hypothalamic electrical stimulation.

    Conclusions:

    • * Avian photoperiodism relies on brain photoreceptors with specific spectral sensitivity.
    • * The timing of light exposure relative to the internal clock is crucial for photoperiodic response.
    • * Neuroendocrine pathways controlling reproduction are precisely regulated by light signals.

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