Light scattering in the cornea
Abstract
The physical basis for the transparency of the cornea to visible light is investigated theoretically in terms of the molecular structure as depicted by electron microscopy. Electron micrographs show that the major portion of the cornea contains long cylindrical fibrils arranged in a quasi-random fashion, with local order extending over distances comparable to the wavelength of light. Heretofore, the generally accepted explanation of transparency has been in terms of a supposed crystalline arrangement of the fibrils, because this was the only distribution that could ensure transparency on a simple theoretical basis. Thus, the non-crystalline structure shown by the electron microscope has been widely regarded as an artifact due to the fixation procedure. In the present work, the light scattering from the fibrils is formulated in terms of their radial distribution function, which is determined by numerical analysis of electron micrographs. Comparison of theoretical results and experimental values for transmittance through rabbit cornea shows that the quasi-regular quasi-random structure revealed by the electron microscope is not in conflict with transparency.
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The basic ultrastructure of the cornea had been described about 50 years ago and the principles behind corneal transparency were elucidated.
“About 50 years ago the basic ultrastructure had been described (Jakus, 1962) and the principles behind corneal transparency finally elucidated (Maurice, 1957, Hart and Farrell, 1969, Benedek, 1971)”
From Corneal structure and transparency (2015) · cites this paper as Hart and Farrell, 1969
Collagen fibrils within the cornea are narrower than in many other connective tissues, and this is an important factor for transparency, which is a function of the diameter.
“Collagen fibrils within the cornea are narrower than in many other connective tissues and this is an important factor for transparency, which is a function of the diameter (Hart and Farrell, 1969).”
From Corneal structure and transparency (2015) · cites this paper as Hart and Farrell, 1969
Models by Maurice (1962) and Hart and Farrell (1969) proposed that collagen fibrils in the corneal stroma are connected to six adjacent fibrils by proteoglycans at regular axial intervals, and that the defined lengths of the proteoglycans force the fibrils onto a perfect hexagonal lattice, guaranteeing corneal transparency.
“The models they proposed were based essentially on the collagen fibrils in the corneal stroma being connected to six adjacent fibrils by proteoglycans at regular axial intervals. The defined lengths of the proteoglycans would force the fibrils on a perfect hexagonal lattice, which would guarantee corneal transparency.”
From Corneal structure and transparency (2015) · cites this paper as Hart and Farrell in 1969
Cited by
Sorted by citations
Corneal structure and transparency
Meek, K. M., & Knupp, C. (2015) · Progress in Retinal and Eye Research · doi:10.1016/j.preteyeres.2015.07.001 · Cited by 853 · see citing works
Polarized light interaction with tissues
Tuchin, V. V. (2016) · Journal of Biomedical Optics · doi:10.1117/1.jbo.21.7.071114 · Cited by 384 · see citing works
- Authors
- Hart, R. W., & Farrell, R. A.
- Affiliations
- Johns Hopkins University (US)
- ORCID
- Farrell, Richard A.
- Venue
- Journal of the Optical Society of America
- Publisher
- Optica Publishing Group
- Published
- 1969-06-01
- Volume
- 59
- Issue
- 6
- Pages
- 766
- ISSN
- 0030-3941 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2084861664
- Cited by
- 237
- References
- 0
- Citations by year
- 2026: 2 · 2025: 1 · 2024: 2 · 2023: 5 · 2022: 3 · 2021: 11 · 2020: 8 · 2019: 6 · 2018: 3 · 2017: 3 · 2016: 12 · 2015: 7 · 2014: 6 · 2013: 5 · 2012: 7
- FWCI
- 8.84
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Journal of the Optical Society of America (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- Johns Hopkins University
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Radiology, Nuclear Medicine and Imaging › Corneal surgery and disorders
- Physical Sciences › Engineering › Biomedical Engineering › Optical Polarization and Ellipsometry
- Physical Sciences › Engineering › Computational Mechanics › Surface Roughness and Optical Measurements
- Keywords
- corneal transparency, light scattering, radial distribution function, electron microscopy artifacts, rabbit cornea, light scattering theory
- MeSH terms
- Animals, Collagen, Cornea, Light, Microscopy, Electron, Models, Biological, Rabbits, Vision, Ocular
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