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Abstract:
Microspectrophotometry has shown that fly rhabdomeres with C40-carotenoid pigments incorporated into their membrane are more resistant to destruction by short wavelength radiation than others, lacking this pigment (Kirschfeld 1982). We show here that the fine structure of those photoreceptors with the carotenoids is also much better preserved after uv-illumination than in cells lacking this pigment. The intensity of uv-illumination in the experiments was higher than in natural conditions in order to enhance the observable effects, but it is concluded that carotenoid pigments in photoreceptors should also serve a protective function under normal conditions.
