5. Glossary

transmittance; transmittance

Specific transfer function characterizing the amplitude transmission of light at each point of an optical system.

vorticella; vorticella

A holotrich ciliate protozoan, very common in freshwater, which usually lives attached by a long stalk to submerged plants. (It can retract this stalk abruptly, creating a current in the water that attracts its microscopic prey) (Larousse definition).