Structures of the Eye Part 3: The Crystalline lens

tantrum (45)in #blog • 6 years ago

On this topic we will go over the Crystalline lens, this structure sits right behind the Iris, its main purpose to to refract light and maintain focus. This focusing ability is called accommodation.

The lens is made of clear transparent fibers and contains no blood vessels, it is very flexible and elastic in nature, this allows the lens to focus in and out to see far and near objects. The lens itself is suspended by thin fibers called Zonules which are held by the surrounding structure called the Ciliary body. The Ciliary body is a muscle that controls the accommodation of the lens.

Over time however, the natural lens will eventually lose the ability to accommodate, this is called Presbyopia. Presbyopia basically means the aging eye. Normally near age 40 you lose that ability to focus up close and eventually you will need reading glasses to see up close.

Afterwards Cataracts can form, this is usually due to normal aging, It has been said that if one lives long enough, he would eventually have cataracts. The definition of cataracts is basically the clouding of the natural lens, as we age the lens itself loses flexibility and will then become harder, eventually the clear opacity will diminish and will form a cloudiness. But do not worry usually it won't develop until your 60's, unless its congenital or due to something systemic. By this time you would eventually need cataract surgery in order to see clearer.