Crystalline lens

Crystalline lens is a part of the eye that helps to focus light, or an image, onto the retina. The lens, by changing shape, functions to change the focal distance of the eye so that it can focus on objects at various distances, thus allowing a sharp real image of the object of interest to be formed on the retina. This adjustment of the lens is known as accommodation.

Structure

The lens is a transparent, biconvex structure in the eye that, along with the cornea, helps to refract light to be focused on the retina. The lens is part of the anterior segment of the eye. The lens is suspended in place by the suspensory ligament of the lens, a ring of fibrous tissue that attaches to the lens at its equator and connects it to the ciliary body.

Function

The primary function of the lens is to focus light onto the retina. This is achieved through the process of accommodation. When the ciliary muscle contracts, the lens becomes more convex, increasing its refractive power to focus on near objects. When the ciliary muscle relaxes, the lens flattens, reducing its refractive power to focus on distant objects.

Clinical significance

The lens can be affected by a number of conditions. Cataract is a clouding of the lens, which can lead to decreased vision and, if left untreated, blindness. Presbyopia is a condition where the flexibility of the lens decreases with age, leading to difficulty in focusing on close objects. Lens-induced glaucoma is a form of secondary glaucoma caused by the physical presence of the lens.

See also

• Eye
• Retina
• Cornea
• Cataract
• Presbyopia
• Lens-induced glaucoma

Crystalline lens Resources
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