ÐThis paper introduces a refined general definition of a skeleton that is based on a penalized-distance function and cannot create any of the degenerate cases of the earlier CEASAR and TEASAR algorithms. Additionally, we provide an algorithm that finds the skeleton accurately and rapidly. Our solution is fully automatic, which frees the user from having to engage in manual data preprocessing. We present the accurate skeletons computed on a number of test datasets. The algorithm is very efficient as demonstrated by the running times which were all below seven minutes.

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Abstract— Photosensitivity for the step‐up photophobic response of Blepharisma is localized in the anterior 1/5 of the cell body. Blepharismin pigment, which is believed to be a photoreceptor pigment mediating the step‐up photophobic response of the cells, was separated into five types of blepharismin (BL‐1, ‐2, ‐3, ‐4 and ‐5). Blepharismin‐1, ‐3, ‐4 and ‐5 were localized in the posterior 4/5, while BL‐2 was located over the entire cell body; the anterior end, which is the photosensitive region, contained only BL‐2. The results indicate that a functional photoreceptor pigment mediating the step‐up photophobic response is BL‐2. Hydroxylapatite chromatography revealed that BL‐2 was bound to a 200 kDa membrane protein. We concluded that a photoreceptor mediating the step‐up photophobic response was a BL‐2/200 kDa protein complex.