It appears sea urchins might just use their entire body as one huge eye. Previous research has shown certain marine invertebrates react to light even without apparent “eyes” leaving scientists to wonder how did they see but new research suggests sea urchins may have light-sensitive cells throughout their feet behaving much like one giant eye.
Genetic analysis of the California purplesea urchinhad already yielding data showing a large amount of their genes were linked with what is found in the development of retinas — the light-sensitive tissue in the inner eyeballs of humans and other invertebrates. And other research has suggested urchins might have a spattering of light-receptor cells all over its body that collectively act much like a retina.
但是最近的研究发现,发现有两个不同的光受体细胞集中在海胆脚的底部和尖端。考虑到加利福尼亚紫色的顽童有超过1,400英尺,研究小组推测,顽童将这些众多的管脚用作视网膜,其余的身体来保护额外的光线,从而使它们具有某种形式的“视觉”。
Since previous work discovered the number and placement of spines on a sea urchin can affect how sharp its vision might be, the new data definitely helps support the theory that the entire body of sea urchins just may in fact act as one massive eyeball.
The sea urchin-eye study appeared May 2 in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
[通过国家地理, image viaKQED Quest]