Cornea Transplantation

Abstract

The cornea is the transparent tissue at the front of the eye that covers the anterior chamber, iris, and pupil. It serves as a barrier to the outside world and is an important refractive component in the optical system of the eye. Without a clear, healthy cornea, good vision is not possible. The cornea is composed of five layers: epithelium, Bowman’s layer, stroma, Descemet’s membrane, and endothelium. At the surface lies the epithelium, a regenerative stratified squamous epithelium that plays an important role in host defense against pathogens. Next, Bowman’s layer is a thin layer of condensed collagen located between the epithelial basement membrane and corneal stroma. The stroma is the thick middle layer of the cornea consisting of regularly arranged collagen fibers and sparsely distributed cells.