Age-related development of a refractive index plateau in the human lens: evidence for a distinct nucleus.
The human lens comprises two distinct regions in which the refractive index changes at different rates. The periphery contains a rapidly increasing refractive index gradient, which becomes steeper with age. The inner region contains a shallow gradient, which flattens with age, due to formation of a central plateau, of RI = 1.418, which reaches a maximum size of 7.0 x 3.05 mm around age 60 years. Formation of the plateau can be attributed to compression of fibre cells generated in prenatal life. Present in prenatal but not in postnatal fibre cells, gamma-crystallin may play a role in limiting nuclear cell compression.
Augusteyn
Robert C
RC
Vision Cooperative Research Centre, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia. B.Augusteyn@ier.org.au
Jones
Catherine E
CE
Pope
James M
JM
D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology*; D002648:Child; D006801:Humans; D007908:Lens, Crystalline / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000502:physiology*; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008875:Middle Aged; D012031:Refractometry