ICO Exam Flashcards
Innervation of the conjunctiva
Ophthalmic division of CN V
Blood supply of the conjunctiva + where is the vascular watershed between the anterior and posterior territories
- Anterior ciliary arteries supply blood to the bulbar conjunctiva.
- The tarsal conjunctiva is supplied by branches of the marginal arcades of the lids.
- The proximal arcade, running along the upper border of the lid, sends branches proximally to supply the fornical and then the bulbar conjunctiva as the posterior conjunctival arteries.
- The Iimbal blood supply derives from the ciliary arteries through the anterior conjunctival arteries.
vascular watershed between the anterior and posterior territories lies approximately 3 or 4 mOl from the limbus
Precorneal tear film layers + expression
- superficial oily layer produced predominantly by the meibomian glands
- middle aqueous layer produced by the main and accessory lacrimal glands
- deep mucin layer derived from the conjunctival goblet cells.
The surface cells of the cornea and conjunctiva also express a mucinous glycocalyx.
Corneal epithelium basal cells width and density
12 µm, 6000 cells/mm2
Wing cells cornea
Overlying the basal cell layer in the corneal epithelium, 2 or 3 layers, polygonal
Microplicae and microvilli make the apical surfaces of the wing cells highly irregular; however, the
precorneal tear film renders the surfaces optically smooth
Superficial corneal epithelial cells thickness
30 µm
What nonepothelial cells can appear within the corneal epithelium?
- Wandering histiocytes
- macrophages
- lymphocytes
- pigmented melanocytes
are usually components of the peripheral cornea. - Antigen-presenting Langerhans cells are found peripherally and move centrally with age or in response to keratitis.
Bowman layer thickness
8-12 µm
The stroma’s collagen types
I, III, V, VI
What type of collagen forms the anchoring fibril ofthe epithelium?
VII
How many keratocytes does the cornea have? %?
~ 2.4 million, ~ 5% of the stromal volume
Keratocyte density in the cornea
anteriorly 1058 cells/mm2
posteriorly 771 cells/mm2
Macroperiodicy of the fibrils in the corneal stroma
640 Å
Collagen fibril orientation in the cornea
- obliquely oriented lamellae in the anterior third of the stroma (with some interlacing)
- parallel lamellae in the posterior two-thirds
The corneal collagen fibrils extend across the entire diameter of the cornea, finally winding circumferentially around the limbus.
What is the corneal stroma composed of?
- collagen-producing keratocytes
- ground substance
- collagen lamellae
Where are the goblet cells in the conjuctiva?
The goblet cells (unicellular mucous glands) are concentrated in the inferior and medial portion of the conjunctiva, especially in the region of the caruncle and plica semilunaris. They are sparsely distributed throughout the remainder of the conjunctiva and are absent in the limbal region.
Ground substance of the cornea?
- consists of proteoglycans that run along and between the collagen fibrils.
- Their glycosaminoglycan components (eg, keratan sulfate) are highly charged and account for the swelling property of the stroma.
Where are the keratocytes in the cornea?
In the stroma, they lie between the corneal lamellae
Corneal keratocytes ?
- synthesize both collagen and proteoglycans.
- highly active cells rich in mitochondria, rough endoplasmic reticula, and Golgi apparatuse
- have attachment structures, communicate by gap junctions, and have unusual fenestrations in their plasma membranes
- Their flat profile and even distribution in the coronal plane ensure a minimum disturbance of light transmission
How many types of corneal keratocytes are there?
Studies with vital dyes suggest that there may be at least 3 different types
Descemet membrane thickness
- at birth 3-4 µm
- in adulthood 10-12 µm
Thickness increases with age