Intact photoreceptor membrane from bovine rod outer segment: size and shape in bleached state

Abstract

Photoreceptor disk membranes isolated from bovine rod outer segments are suspended in dilute aqueous sucrose (4.36 .times. 10-3%) and bleached, and their size and shape are determined with quasielastic and elastic light scattering. They are extremely homogeneous spherical vesicles with a radius of 0.49 .+-. 0.07 .mu.m which appear to have derived from the native disk shape by osmotic swelling.