Lens Anatomy Gadis Sativa MD

Hafizhan MD
 Position of Lens

• Located between the iris and

the vitreous

– at the pupillary area

– in the saucer shaped

depression k/a patellar fossa
 Anatomical Relation
Anterior:
– AC of the eye through the
pupillary aperture, and
– with the posterior surface of the
iris
~3 mm

Lateral:
– PC of the eye and to the zonules
through ciliary processes
 Anatomical Relation
Posterior:
• Vitreous, separated by slit like
Retrolental/Berger’s space
filled with aqueous and
attached to the posterior ~3 mm
surface in a circular fashion by
ligamentum
hyaloideocapsulare (Wiegert’s
ligament)
Anatomical Relation
 Introduction
• The crystalline lens is a transparent,
biconvex structure located posterior
to the iris
and anterior to the vitreous body
• The lens is suspended in position by
delicate yet strong fibers (zonular
fibers, sometimes referred to as the
zonules of Zinn) that support and
attach it to the ciliary body.
• Components of the lens are the
capsule, epithelium, cortex, and
nucleus
 Capsule
• The lens is enclosed in an elastic basement membrane
• Noncellular and is composed primarily
of type IV collagen
• Thick anteriorly
• Posterior no epithel
• The capsule is not a barrier to diffusion of water, ions,
other small molecules, or proteins up to the size of
serum albumin (which has a molecular weight of
68,000)
Capsule
 Epithelium
• A single layer of epithelial cells covers the
anterior surface of the lens.
• These cells have full metabolic capacity and
play the primary role in regulating the water
and ion balance of the entire lens.
• Germinative zone exists as a ring anterior to
the equator, where the epithelial cells divide.
Epithelium
 Epithelium
• Single layer below the lens capsule

• Formed of cuboidal cells

• Become columnar at equatorial region

 Epithelium
• Actively dividing and elongating to form the lens fiber
• Metabolically active layer
Posterior lens Epithelium absent because used in filling
the central cavity of lens vesicle during development
period
 Cortex & Nucleus
• Lens also composed of Lens Fibers, formed in
equator epithelium
• Tree`s growth-ring-like structure
• Formed bow-zone structure
• Expressing lens crystallins and major intrinsic
protein (MIP)
• Cellular organelles elimination
Cortex & Nucleus
 Cortex & Nucleus
• Hexagonal in cross-section

• Primary lens fibers are formed from

posterior epithelium during
embryogenesis

• Formed constantly throughout life by

elongation of lens epithelium at equator
from germinative cells

• As the lens fibers are formed

throughout life, these are arranged
compactly as Nucleus & Cortex of the
lens
 References
• Anatomy & Physiology of eye – A.K.Khurana
• Ophthalmology – 5th edition – A.K. Khurana
• Kanski
• Adlers Physiology of the Eye, 11th Edition
• Wolf's Anatomy of the Eye and orbit, 8th
Edition
 Nucleus
-central part containing the oldest fibers

- Depending upon the period of development different

zones of nucleus are:
– Embryonic nucleus
– Fetal nucleus
– Infantile nucleus
– Adult nucleus
Embryonic nucleus –
 It is the innermost part of
nucleus ( 3 months of
gestation)
 It consists of primary lens
fibers

Fetal nucleus –
 lie around the embryonic
nucleus & corresponds to the
lens from 3 months of
gestation till birth
 Its fibers meet around sutures
which are anteriorly Y shaped
& posteriorly inverted Y shape
• Infantile nucleus : lens
from birth to puberty

• Adult nucleus : lens

fibers formed after
puberty to rest of the
life
• Cortex :
peripheral part
which compromising
the youngest lens fibers
 Dimensions

1. Anterior surface of lens :

- Radius of 10 mm (8-14 mm)
2. Posterior surface:
- Radius of 6 mm (4.5-7.5 mm)
3. Anterior pole:
- 3 mm from back of cornea
4. Equatorial diameter:
- Birth around ( 6.5mm)
- Adult ( 9-10mm)
5. Axial width:
- at birth - 3.5-4 mm
- Adult - 4.75-5 mm
6. Refractive index of lens:
- As a whole - 1.39
- Of nucleus - 1.42
- Of cortex - 1.38
7. Refractive power : 16-17 D
8. Weight of lens:
- At birth – 65 mg
- At extreme of age – 258 mg
9. Accommodative power:
at birth – 14-16 D
at 25 yrs – 7-8 D
at 50 yrs – 1-2 D
10. Color of lens:
at birth ,of infants, adults – colorless
at about 30 yrs – yellow tinge
old age – amber color

Cortex is softer as compared to nucleus