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Facets of Vision pp 298–316Cite as

Polarization Sensitivity in Compound Eyes

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Abstract

The compound eyes of insects and many other arthropods can detect a basic property of light which normally remains invisible to us: the plane of polarization. Arising by scattering in air and water, as well as by reflection from surfaces (Fig. 1), linearly polarized light (characterized by the E-vector direction) is widespread in nature and provides the sensitive eye with a great deal of extra optical information. How polarized light is analyzed and used by arthropods is the theme of this chapter.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Freiburg, Germany

    Samuel Rossel

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  1. Samuel Rossel
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biophysics, Laboratorium voor Algemene Natuurkunde Rijksuniversiteit Groningen, Westersingel 34, NL-9718, CM Groningen, The Netherlands

    Doekele Gerben Stavenga

  2. Department of Zoology, Cambridge University, Downing Street, GB-Cambridge, CB2 3EJ, England

    Roger Clayton Hardie

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© 1989 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg

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Rossel, S. (1989). Polarization Sensitivity in Compound Eyes. In: Stavenga, D.G., Hardie, R.C. (eds) Facets of Vision. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-74082-4_15

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-74082-4_15

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-642-74084-8

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-642-74082-4

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