title: Structural interpretation of the birefringence gradient in retinal rod outer segments.
abstract: The birefringence of frog retinal rod outer segments is analyzed in terms of a three-dielectric layer model. The possibility that the birefringence gradient found in such cells is due to changes in the disk membrane-pair spacing is investigated using previously published glycerol imbibition data (Kaplan et al., 1978. Biophys. J. 23: 59-70). The higher net birefringence of the basal end compared to the midpoint of rod outer segments can be accounted for by a smaller negative form birefringence term due to either a smaller or larger intradiskal space, depending upon the assumed relative solids contents of the intradiskal and cytoplasmic spaces.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001718:Birefringence; D008433:Mathematics; D008954:Models, Biological; D010786:Photoreceptor Cells / Q000502:physiology*; D011898:Ranidae
references.citation: J Biophys Biochem Cytol. 1957 May 25;3(3):412-9
references.pmid: 13438925
references.citation: Nature. 1976 Jul 22;262(5566):266-70
references.pmid: 958369
references.citation: J Cell Biol. 1977 Nov;75(2 Pt 1):507-27
references.pmid: 264121
references.citation: J Physiol. 1977 Mar;265(3):657-72
references.pmid: 300799
references.citation: Biophys J. 1978 Jul;23(1):59-70
references.pmid: 307412
references.citation: Science. 1977 Apr 29;196(4289):536-8
references.pmid: 300504
references.citation: Biochim Biophys Acta. 1977 Sep 5;469(2):113-22
references.pmid: 71161
references.citation: Nature. 1972 Apr 7;236(5345):313-4
references.pmid: 4552165
references.citation: Vision Res. 1973 Jan;13(1):171-83
references.pmid: 4681984
references.citation: Nature. 1969 Aug 30;223(5209):906-9
references.pmid: 5803392
references.citation: Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1969 Jun;63(2):233-8
references.pmid: 5257119
references.citation: Nature. 1974 Sep 6;251(5470):31-6
references.pmid: 4547251
references.citation: J Cell Biol. 1967 Apr;33(1):61-72
references.pmid: 6033942
references.citation: Biochim Biophys Acta. 1975 Mar 25;382(3):322-35
references.pmid: 1079141
references.citation: Biophys J. 1975 Dec;15(12):1201-33
references.pmid: 1203447
references.citation: J Biophys Biochem Cytol. 1957 Jan 25;3(1):15-30
references.pmid: 13416308