Presbyopia, on the other hand, is due to an aging change in the crystalline lens. Most refractive errors - nearsightedness, farsightedness and astigmatism - are due to a less-than-optimal curvature or symmetry of the cornea. The remainder of the focusing power of the eye is provided by the crystalline lens, located directly behind the pupil. But it has another very important function as well - the cornea provides approximately 65 to 75 percent of the focusing power of the eye. The regular arrangement of these cells is sometimes called the endothelial mosaic.Īs already mentioned, the clear cornea allows light to enter the eye for vision. Most of the endothelial cells are hexagonal (six-sided), but some may have five or seven sides. The corneal endothelium is only a single layer of cells thick and measures about 5 microns. The back of the endothelium is bathed in the clear aqueous humor that fills the space between the cornea and the iris and pupil. This is the innermost layer of the cornea. Descemet's (pronounced "DESS-eh-mays") membrane gradually thickens throughout life - it's about 5 microns thick in children and 15 microns thick in older adults. This very thin layer separates the stroma from the underlying endothelial layer of the cornea. The regular arrangement and uniform spacing of these lamellae is what enables the cornea to be perfectly clear.ĭescemet's membrane. ![]() These fibrils are uniform in size and are arranged parallel to the cornea surface in 200 to 300 flat bundles called lamellae that extend across the entire cornea. It is composed of strands of connective tissue called collagen fibrils. This middle layer of the cornea is approximately 500 microns thick, or about 90 percent of the thickness of the overall cornea. This is a very thin (8 to 14 microns) and dense fibrous sheet of connective tissue that forms the transition between the corneal epithelium and the underlying stroma. The turnover time for the entire corneal epithelium is about one week.īowman's layer. Epithelial cells are constantly being produced and sloughed off in the tear layer of the surface of the eye. This outer layer of the cornea is five to seven cells thick and measures about 50 microns - making it slightly less than 10 percent of the thickness of the entire cornea. The center thickness of the average cornea is about 550 microns, or slightly more than half a millimeter. This makes the cornea about two-thirds the size of a dime. But if viewed from behind, the cornea appears circular, with a uniform diameter of approximately 11.7 mm. The horizontal diameter of the cornea typically measures about 12 millimeters (mm), and the vertical diameter is 11 mm, when viewed from the front. This is because the sclera (the "white" of the eye) slightly overlaps the top and bottom of the anterior cornea. Viewed from the front of the eye, the cornea appears slightly wider than it is tall. It lies directly in front of the iris and pupil, and it allows light to enter the eye. The cornea is the clear front surface of the eye. ![]() Here are the basics you should know about this important part of the eye. ![]() The cornea allows light to enter the eye for vision.
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