Diaphragm (optics) curved blades improve the roundness of the iris opening. In a photograph, the number of blades that the iris diaphragm has can be guessed by counting the number of diffraction spikes converging from a light source or bright reflection. For an odd number of blades, there are twice as many spikes as there are blades. In case of an even number of blades, the two spikes per blade will overlap each other, so the number of spikes visible will be the number of blades in the diaphragm used. This is most apparent in pictures taken in the dark with small
Crus of diaphragm Crus of diaphragm The crus of diaphragm (pl. crura), refers to one of two tendinous structures that extends below the diaphragm to the vertebral column. There is a right crus and a left crus, which together form a tether for muscular contraction. They take their name from their leg-shaped appearance – "crus" meaning "leg" in Latin. The crura originate from the front of the bodies and intervertebral fibrocartilage of the lumbar vertebrae. They are tendinous and blend with the anterior longitudinal ligament of the vertebral column. The medial tendinous margins of the crura pass anteriorly and medialward, and meet in