title: Overview of the Lens.
abstract: In order to accomplish its function of transmitting and focusing light, the crystalline lens of the vertebrate eye has evolved a unique cellular structure and protein complement. These distinct adaptations have provided a rich source of scientific discovery ranging from biochemistry and genetics to optics and physics. In addition, because of these adaptations, lens cells persist for the lifetime of an organism, providing an excellent model of the aging process. The chapters dealing with the lens will demonstrate how the different aspects of lens biology and biochemistry combine in this singular refractive organ to accomplish its critical role in the visual system.
authors: Ophthalmic Genetics and Visual Function Branch, National Eye Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA.
authors: J Fielding
authors: JF
authors: Hejtmancik
authors: Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri, USA. Electronic address: Shiels@vision.wustl.edu.
authors: Alan
authors: A
authors: Shiels
mesh_terms: D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology; D000818:Animals; D006801:Humans; D007908:Lens, Crystalline / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology*
keywords: Biochemistry; Cell biology; Development; Genetics; Lens