Advertisement

Advertisement

ommatidium

[ om-uh-tid-ee-uhm ]

noun

, Zoology.
, plural om·ma·tid·i·a [om-, uh, -, tid, -ee-, uh].
  1. one of the radial elements composing a compound eye.


ommatidium

/ ˌɒməˈtɪdɪəm /

noun

  1. any of the numerous cone-shaped units that make up the compound eyes of some arthropods
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

ommatidium

/ ŏm′ə-tĭdē-əm /

, Plural ommatidia

  1. One of the tiny light-sensitive parts of the compound eye of insects and other arthropods. An ommatidium resembles a single simplified eye.
  2. See more at compound eye
Discover More

Derived Forms

  • ˌommaˈtidial, adjective
Discover More

Other Words From

  • omma·tidi·al adjective
Discover More

Word History and Origins

Origin of ommatidium1

1880–85; < New Latin < Greek ommat- (stem of ómma eye) + New Latin -idium -idium
Discover More

Word History and Origins

Origin of ommatidium1

C19: via New Latin from Greek ommatidion, from omma eye
Discover More

Example Sentences

In an insect, each ommatidium in the compound eye has a corneal lens, a crystalline cone and a light-sensitive organ at its base.

From BBC

The ommataeum, as already stated, tends to segregate into retinulae which correspond potentially each to an ommatidium of the compound eye.

The lateral eyes of Scorpio consist of groups of separate small lenses each with its ommatidium, but they do not form a continuous compound eye as in Limulus.

Each ommatidium is an elongated cone with its broad extremity abutting against the corneal lenticle.

The ommatidium is from the first segregate and consists of few cells.

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement


ommateumommatophore