Optical feats performed by mitochondria in the cone photoreceptors of the eye

John M. Ball; Wei Li

doi:10.1117/12.3000233

13 March 2024 Optical feats performed by mitochondria in the cone photoreceptors of the eye

John M. Ball, Wei Li

Proceedings Volume PC12856, Biomedical Applications of Light Scattering XIV; PC1285605 (2024) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.3000233
Event: SPIE BiOS, 2024, San Francisco, California, United States

Abstract

The vertebrate retina detects light primarily using an array of elongated rod and cone photoreceptor neurons that are oriented toward the pupil of the eye. The optical consequences of this anatomical specialization have long been a subject of curiosity for vision research, especially because this array of photoreceptors lines the back of the eye, forcing photons to pass through the inner layers of the retina before detection. A long-held belief is that the tapered shape of especially the cone photoreceptor allows it to function as a waveguide to enhance photon capture. However, an often overlooked aspect of this phenomenon is that numerous cone mitochondria—necessary to provide an energy supply for the needs of phototransduction—tightly congregate in the cone inner segment, forming the final scattering structure for photons prior to detection. Using the thirteen-lined ground squirrel, a cone-dominant mammal with a retinal anatomy similar to that of humans, we showed both experimentally and computationally that such tight bundles of mitochondria form microlenses that provide multiple optical benefits for vision, the insights from which will be valuable for imaging diagnostics.

Conference Presentation

Citation Download Citation

John M. Ball and Wei Li "Optical feats performed by mitochondria in the cone photoreceptors of the eye", Proc. SPIE PC12856, Biomedical Applications of Light Scattering XIV, PC1285605 (13 March 2024); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.3000233

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