Under every tiny lens in a bee's or fly's eye, four Semper cells work as a team. They build a clear cone that guides light down to the light-catching cells.
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Insects like bees, flies, and butterflies have compound eyes, made of thousands of tiny eye units side by side.
Each tiny unit has a lens on top. Right under the lens sit four Semper cells, fitted together like four wedges of a pie.
They are named after Carl Semper, a scientist who studied them long ago.
Every tiny eye unit has its own team of four Semper cells. An eye with thousands of units has thousands of teams!
Without a clear cone, light would not reach the right place, and the insect could not see well.
Scroll up to the 3D model and press Build the cone. Then press Shine light.
By SciShow Kids. Good for older kids.
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