SENSITIVITY TO LIGHT IN THE SEA ANEMONE METRIDIUM SENILE (L.) : II. STUDIES OF REACTION TIME VARIABILITY AND THE EFFECTS OF CHANGES IN LIGHT INTENSITY AND TEMPERATURE

1. The reaction time of the photosensitive response of Metridium was found to be composed almost entirely of a sensitization period. If a latent period exists, it is too short to be detected by the methods used and is probably less than a second in duration. The length of the reaction time, therefore, was used as a measure of the radiant energy necessary at any intensity to elicit a response. 2. The length of the reaction time was found to vary randomly by a factor of seven under constant environmental and stimulating conditions. Determination of large numbers of reaction times on several anemones, grouped according to length, gave closely similar distributions resembling Poisson distributions. It was suggested that the variability may be caused by the same factor or mechanism in each individual. An experimental scheme was presented for determining the expected error and variation in statistical quantities when groups of ten observations are used. 3. The means of groups of reaction times determined at different intensities formed a hyperbolic relationship when plotted against intensity, suggesting that the animal obeys the Bunsen-Roscoe law of reciprocity. No marked changes were noted of per cent deviation from the mean or of randomness at different intensities. Stimulation of Metridium requires roughly 5 x 10(9) incident quanta/cm.(2) of blue-green light. 4. No temperature effect could be found on either the means, the per cent deviation from the mean, or the degree of randomness of series of about ten observations, studied over a 17°C. range. It was concluded that the variability in reaction time was not due to changes in any complex physiological state such as muscular tone. 5. A possible use of the photosensitive response is suggested and the potentialities of "integrative" photosensitivity are discussed. 6. Possible mechanisms to explain the variability in reaction time are discussed. In the light of evidence presented, the most likely hypothesis appears to be the uncertainty of quantum capture caused by low concentrations of photosensitive pigment. Assuming the validity of this hypothesis, evidence suggests that the anemones responded to less than 10 quanta of absorbed light. Caution, however, is recommended in accepting the hypothesis because of the indirect nature of the supporting evidence.