ommatidium
/ˌɒməˈtɪdɪəm
/noun (plural ommatidia /ˌɒməˈtɪdɪə/) Entomology
Each of the optical units that make up the compound eye of an insect.In contrast, myriapods and chelicerates mostly lack compound eyes and the ommatidia of the few groups that have compound eyes are very different from insect/crustacean ommatidia....
- In all these animals, the larval eye continues to exist as part of the adult eye, although the number of ommatidia in the adult compound eye far exceeds the larval quantity.
- The retina of the compound eye is organized into approximately 3000 functional units or ommatidia, each containing eight photoreceptor cells.
Origin
Late 19th century: modern Latin, from Greek ommatidion, diminutive of omma, ommat- 'eye'.