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Vitreous

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Biochemistry of the Eye

Part of the book series: Perspectives in Vision Research ((PIVR))

Abstract

The space between the lens, ciliary body, and retina is filled with a transparent gel or liquid that is variously termed the vitreous body, vitreous humor, vitreus (Denlinger et al., 1980; Balazs and Denlinger, 1984), or vitreous. The latter term seems most appropriate and is used throughout this chapter. The vitreous is an extracellular matrix that occupies the major part of the globe in most if not all vertebrate species. A large body of experimental evidence supports the view that the vitreous is an extended extracellular matrix of the retina and could be considered embryologically as the basement membrane of the retina (Swann, 1980). Other concepts have also been developed in which the vitreous is considered as a “typical connective tissue compartment surrounded by epithelial (lens, ciliary body) and neuroglial (retinal Müller cells) cells which form basal laminae around it” (Balazs and Denlinger, 1984). Further studies at the molecular level are clearly needed to reconcile these differing points of view.

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  1. Hadassah-Hebrew University Medical School, Jerusalem, Israel

    Elaine R. Berman

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Berman, E.R. (1991). Vitreous. In: Biochemistry of the Eye. Perspectives in Vision Research. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4757-9441-0_6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4757-9441-0_6

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Boston, MA

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4757-9443-4

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