Aqueous Humour & Intraocular Pressure Flashcards
What are the non-sensory and sensory layers of the retina known as?
Non-Sensory (Outer)
Sensory (Inner)
What does the RPE become?
Pigmented layer of the ciliary epithelium
Which of the 2 layers of the ciliary epithelium make up the aqueous humour?
Non-Pigmented layer
Which way do the apexes of the ciliary epithelium layers face?
Apexes between the pigmented and on-pigmented layers face each other
What is the ciliary body posteriorly continuous with?
The Choroid
What is the ciliary body posterior to?
Peripheral margin of the iris
Where does the ciliary body extend?
In a complete ring that runs around the inside of the anterior sclera. Extends forward to the scleral spur and backwards to the ora serrata
What is the scleral spur?
Protrusion of the sclera into the anterior chamber. Seen as a raised bump of the sclera right near the limbus.
How is the sclera spur attached?
Anteriorly to the trabecular meshwork and posteriorly to the sclera and the longitudinal portion of the ciliary muscle
How far does the ciliary body extend?
On the outside of the eyeball, the ciliary body extends from a point about 1.5 mm posterior to the corneal limbus to a point 7.5 to 8.0 mm posterior to this on the temporal side and 6.5 to 7.0 mm on the nasal side.
Where is the ciliary body located?
The ciliary body is triangular on cross-section, with its small base facing the anterior chamber of the eye and its anterior outer angle facing the scleral spur. Its apex extends posteriorly and laterally to become continuous with the choroid.
What is the pars plicata?
The anterior surface or base of the ciliary body that is ridged/plicated. It surrounds the periphery of the iris and gives rise to the ciliary processes
What is the pars plana?
The posterior surface of the ciliary body that is smooth and flat.
What is the Ora Serrata?
The ora serrata is where the retina stops and moves forward to become ciliary non-pigmented epithelium at the point where it thins out. Your pigmented layer continues and doesn’t thin out.
Which layer of the ciliary epithelium thins out?
The non-pigmented layer
Which of the ciliary epithelium layers is more inner?
The non-pigmented layer
Which of the ciliary epithelium layers is more outer?
The pigmented layer
What type of cells cover the inner surface of the ciliary body?
The ciliary epithelium consists of two layers (pigmented and non-pigmented) of cubical cells
What is the non-pigmented layer an extension/continuation of?
Anterior extension of the neural retina. Specifically of the inner limiting membrane. These cells are also line the anterior chamber. They secrete aqueous humour.
What is a continuation/extension of the retina’s RPE?
The pigmented outer layer of the ciliary epithelium. They rest against the ciliary stroma which is made up of loose connective tissue.
What borders the basement membrane of non-pigmented layers?
The basement membrane of the non-pigmented cells faces the posterior chamber and is continuous with the inner limiting membrane of the nervous part of the retina.
What borders the pigmented layer of the ciliary processes?
The basement membrane of the pigmented cells faces the stroma and is an extension of the basement membrane of the pigmented epithelium of the retina (RPE)
How vascular is the ciliary body?
The ciliary body is incredibly vascular. Per area of weight of the EOM they’re the most vascular muscles of the body and the ciliary body follows just behind this.
What type of muscle makes up the ciliary muscle?
Smooth muscle fibres
Where are most of the muscle fibres of the ciliary muscle attached?
To the scleral spur
What the the 3 main groups of muscle fibres of the ciliary body?
1) Longitudinal Fibres
2) Oblique/Radial Fibres
3) Circular Fibres
Where are Longitudinal fibres of the ciliary muscle located?
The longitudinal fibers- the most external and closest to the sclera-pass posteriorly into the stroma of the choroid.
Where are Oblique/Radial fibres of the ciliary muscle located?
The oblique/radial fibers (around in a ring of the ciliary body) run from the first layer to the third layer and radiate out from the scleral spur.
Where are the Circular Fibres of the ciliary body located?
The most internal. Run around the eyeball like a sphincter. They lie close to the peripheral edge of the lens.
What pulls the ciliary body forward in accommodation?
It is the contraction of the ciliary muscle, especially the longitudinal and the circular fibers, that pulls the ciliary body forward in accommodation. This forward movement is responsible for relieving the tension in the suspensory ligament, making the elastic lens more convex and thereby increasing the refractive power of the lens.
What nerve innervates the ciliary body?
The nerve that innervates the ciliary body are the post-ganglionic parasympathetic fibres of the oculo-motor nerve. The nerve fibres reach the muscle via the short ciliary nerves.
Define the aqueous humour
The clear fluid which fills the anterior and posterior chambers of the eyeball.
What are the 3 functions of aqueous humour?
- Source of nutrients for avascular tissues in the anterior chamber
- Removes waste products from structures in the anterior chamber
- Maintains IOP (intraocular pressure)
What avascular tissues does the aqueous humour provide nutrients too?
It is the source of nutrients for the avascular tissues of the anterior chamber, including the cornea and lens, and it removes their waste products.
How does the aqueous humour maintain intraocular pressure?
Aqueous controlled circulation around the AC and out through the anterior chamber angle (trabecular meshwork) is necessary for IOP maintenance
Where do the lens and cornea get their nutrients from?
Lens & endothelium of the cornea = avascular so can’t get oxygen and nutrients from blood so have to get it from aqueous humour that nutrients to avascular structures in the anterior chamber.
What is it called when blood gets into the aqueous humour?
Hyphema which is usually caused by a puncture of the globe or of the ciliary muscle.
What is it called when pus gets into the aqueous humour?
Pus can get into the anterior chamber into the aqueous humour (hypopyon) which is usually from an ulcer from the eye.
Where is aqueous humour produced?
Generated by the posterior chamber of the eye by the ciliary processes
Why is stromal fluid similar chemically to blood plasma?
The capillaries in the stroma of the ciliary processes are highly permeable and so stromal fluid is very similar chemically to blood plasma.
What forms the blood-aqueous barrier?
The pigmented and non-pigmented layers of the ciliary epithelium have intercellular gap junctions between them and are what form the blood-aqueous barrier. Blood aqueous barrier is formed by a structure called the zonula occludens which resides in the nonpigmented ciliary epithelium layer. It prevents blood from mixing with the AqH. In inflammatory processes, it can become disrupted
How does secretion of stromal fluid from the capillaries work?
Through active transport and through capillary fenestrations (ultrafiltration aka holes in the capillaries)
How much aqueous fluid is produced per minute?
3 micromillitres per minute
What ions are involved in the production of aqueous fluid?
The major ions involved in this process are Na+, HCO3−, and Cl−. The osmotic pressure in the intercellular clefts increases as ions are pumped in. Water and its solutes follow and eventually move out of the clefts and into the posterior chamber. Enzymatic inhibitors of these transport processes significantly reduce aqueous flow.
What is the process of aqueous humour getting from capillary to aqueous humour?
Some products (sodium na+, hydrogren bicarb HCO3-, chloride cl- and accurbic acid) leave the capillary at this point. These are squeezed out of the blood to the connective tissue and moves towards the double layer of the epithelium. The epithelium uses active transport proteins to push sodium out of the epithelium. This is followed by chloride and bicarb that leave also (leave blood supply in the ciliary process) which increases oncotic pressure which, when this happens water will follow this also as they can move with the negative ions leaving. It changes into aqueous humour by the non-pigmented layer which then enters the posterior chamber and it is then drained and contributes to intraocular pressure.
What is the rhythm of aqueous humour like?
Circadian Rhythm that maintains a predictable pattern of IOP (inflow and outflow) throughout a 24 hour period
What does persistent elevation of IOP cause?
Increase in the risk of glaucoma (want to treat by decreasing aqueous humour production)
What does chronically low IOP (hypotony) cause?
Increase risk of sight-threatening conditions including corneal changes, accelerated cataract formation, choroidal fluid,maculopathy,cystoid macular edema, or optic disk edema. IOP has to be less than or equal to 5mmHg on 3 different measurements
What control is the circadian rhythm of aqueous humour under?
It is thought to follow circadian changes in autonomic tone and circulating corticosteroids suggesting ciliary processes are under autonomic control.