Abstract
Sodium, potassium, chloride, calcium, magnesium and sulphate concentrations in the vitreous humour and retina of Octopus vulgaris were measured by flame photometry. The density and dry mass fraction of the dark-adapted retina were determined to be 1.074 ± 0.027 g cm −3 and 22.4% ± 0.6% respectively. Those of the vitreous humour were 1.033 ± 0.002 g cm −3 and 3.0% ± 0.2% respectively. Subsequent calculations yielded an interstitial space of the retina of 19% (v/v). Using this value of the interstitial space, the intracellular ion concentrations of the dark-adapted and illuminated retinas were determined. These ion concentrations were used, together with the membrane potentials obtained from electrophysiological experiments, to calculate the ion permeability of Octopus visual cell membranes in the dark and on flash illumination.
Published Version
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