Figure 5. Membrane breaks in photoreceptor outer segments are caused by blue light damage. Quantitative analysis of breaks in the enveloping membrane of photoreceptor outer segments was performed. Error bars represent the mean±standard deviation (SD) from n=100 different outer segments. A: Eyeballs were exposed to blue light for 3 h, 6 h, and 24 h. The graph displays the number of breaks in the middle section of the outer segments. During the prolonged incubation time, the number of breaks increased in treated eyes but was consistently significantly higher than that observed in time-matched controls (*p<0.05). B: Eyeballs were exposed to blue light for 6 h. The graph displays the number of breaks in the proximal, middle, and distal sections of the outer segments. The number of breaks was significantly higher only in the middle section, compared to that in the controls (*p<0.05).