果蝇的视觉模式识别具有视网膜位置不变性

Visual Pattern Recognition in Drosophila Is Invariant for Retinal Position

        唐世明(生物物理研究所 北京 100101)

         果蝇;视觉模式识别;不变性

        visual pattern;recognition in drosophila;invariant

        2004年8月13日出版的Science发表了由生物物理研究所主持、与德国沃尔兹堡大学合作完成的“果蝇视觉模式识别具有视网膜位置不变性”的研究成果。本文介绍了该项成果的研究背景、意义、主要创新点及方法。

        Vision relies on constancy mechanisms. Yet, these are little understood, because they are difficult to investigate in freely moving organisms. One such mechanism,translation invariance, enables organisms to recognize visual patternsindependent of the region of their visual field where they had originally seen them. Tethered flies (Drosophila melanogaster) in a flight simulator can recognize visual patterns. Because their eyes are fixed in space and patterns can be displayed in defined parts of their visual field, they can be tested for translation invariance. Here, we show that flies recognize patterns at retinal positions where the patterns had not been presented before.