Biologists have figured out how to actually see bees
Australian scientists have found that honeybees have much more acute vision than previously thought. The researchers presented the results of their work in the journal Scientific Reports.
Today honeybees are attracted to many scientists, especially neurologists, who want to find out how the tiny brain of insects that contain less than a million neurons capable of processing complicated tasks. Scientists believe that this understanding will be useful in robotics.
Vision of bees is being studied for over a hundred years: the first study was published in 1914. In the article it was reported that bees are able to distinguish some colors. There is another important question that has long interested scientists: how good, really can see bees. According to biologists from the Adelaide University, the previous researchers measured the visual acuity of bees in the laboratory, the lighting which is not bright enough, that could significantly skew the results.
On the sides of the honey bees head are two eyes, called complex and composed of a plurality of cells, facets. Such cells in the eye of the insect, there are about six thousand. It is assumed that the bee sees the image of a mosaic of tiny particles transmitted through a separate facet sticks to the retina and then to the brain.
In their work, scientists measured the neural activity of single photoreceptors of the eye bees, when they fell from the bright light of the monitor. Biologists have found that worker bees actually have 30% more clear vision than was reported before. Scientists have proven that angular resolution of insect eyes is 1.9 degrees — for a man is approximately the width of your thumb at arm’s length.