CL Sequencing Physiology Flashcards
Why are central K readings misleading indicators of overall corneal topography?
Because cornea should be spherical which is not the case.
It tells you central is 4mm only, nothing about spherical
- Is the cornea symmetrical?
2. The curvature flattens towards which part of the cornea?
- Not symmetrical
2. Periphery
What is the normal HVID?
~12mm
What are the 4 topographic zones?
- Central (4mm spherical)
- Paracentral (~ diameter of scotopic pupil)
- Peripheral (flattest and aspheric)
- Limbal
Cornea provides how much refractive power of the eye?
2/3
Why is cornea curved, transparent with clear optics?
It all thanks to cellular organisation and the air TF interface
Slight irregularities can be compensated by?
Overlying TF
What allows cornea to withstand shear forces of blinking, EM, microbial infection and FB?
- cell specialisation
- cell turnover
- tight junctions
- surface glycocalyx
- TF
How many layers does cornea have? What are they?
5 layers!
- Epithelium
- BOwman’s layer
- Stroma
- Descemet’s membrane
- Endothelium
How many cells does epithelium have? What are they?
3 cell types!
- Basal cells
- Wing cells
- Squamous cells
Microplicae and microvilli on the epithelium surface play a role in TF by doing what?
Anchoring the mucus layer (glycocalyx)
How long is cell shedding and turnover (basal to the surface) without CL wear?
~7 days
Does epithelium negatively or positively impacted by CL wear?
NEGATIVE!
Epithelium is a permeability barrier to what?
Adjacent cells are connected by what?
- water
- ions
- most hydrophilic molecules (eg. fluorescein)
- infective pathogens through tight junctions (desmosomes)
- Aquaporins (water channels)
- Gap junctions (ion transport)
In the stroma, how do intermediate filaments in the cytoskeleton are linked through?
Linked through the hemidesmosomes via anchoring fibrils to anchoring plaques
CL wear can reduce the epithelial barrier function related to what?
- Hypoxia dose
2. Overnight wear
How thick is the stroma and it is how many % of the cornea?
Thickness: 0.50mm thick/ 500 microns
It is 90% of the cornea
What does stroma contain?
2-3% keratocytes (fibroblasts) and 1% ground substance (GAGs) interspersed between lamellae
What are keratocytes in the stoma?
They are:
- thin
- flat cells
- tight junctions
- 10 microns in diameter with long processes
What are GAGs in the stroma?
They are:
- proteoglycans
- poly-ionic
- induce water retention
- influence fibril arrangement
What are stromal Lamellae?
A regular arrangement of collagen fibrils within each lamellae provides optical clarity