ommatidium
noun
om·ma·tid·i·um
ˌä-mə-ˈti-dē-əm 
plural ommatidia
ˌä-mə-ˈti-dē-ə
: one of the elements corresponding to a small simple eye that make up the compound eye of an arthropod
Examples of ommatidium in a Sentence
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In this kind of compound eye, each ommatidium has to be encased in something that blocks light in order to isolate it from the neighboring ommatidia, keeping each unit distinct.
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Scott K. Johnson, Ars Technica, 15 Aug. 2020
At the top of each ommatidium is a lens, with cone cells beneath it that also help focus incoming light.
—Scott K. Johnson, Ars Technica, 15 Aug. 2020
The tiny organ contains 100 ommatidia, or subunits that make up compound eyes found today in many insects, surrounding a light-sensing structure called a rhabdom.
—Jason Daley, Smithsonian, 11 Dec. 2017
Scott K. Johnson, Ars Technica, 15 Aug. 2020
At the top of each ommatidium is a lens, with cone cells beneath it that also help focus incoming light.
—Scott K. Johnson, Ars Technica, 15 Aug. 2020
The tiny organ contains 100 ommatidia, or subunits that make up compound eyes found today in many insects, surrounding a light-sensing structure called a rhabdom.
—Jason Daley, Smithsonian, 11 Dec. 2017
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'ommatidium.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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“Ommatidium.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ommatidium. Accessed 5 Nov. 2024.
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