myopia

Question 1

What’s the refractive error?

Answer 1

Mismatch b/w length of eyeball and focusing power of cornea and lens

Question 2

Evolutionary theories

Answer 2

• Tool makers, sewers, artist, small prey spotters are good at looking at fine details which was helpful for specialized jobs
• Body size theory: increased body size means bigger eye size but not proportional at the back and front of eye

Question 3

plasticity theory

Answer 3

Eyes can change to fit looking up close so influenced by environment

Question 4

Genes

Answer 4

PAX6: encodes for a transcription factor that helps the formation of the eyes so if errors here it messes up eye formation
LEPREL1: secretes enzyme that participates in last stage of collagen formation in the eye so could mess with light refraction
COL1A1: codes one of the alpha chain of collagen type 1 which makes it a susceptibility gene

Question 5

Previous treatments

Answer 5

Lenses can be concave (worked by diverging light to offset overconvergence) or convex

Question 6

Myopia prevalence

Answer 6

49.8% of people will develop it and 9.8% with severe cases by 2050

Question 7

Evolutionary medicine and prevention of myopia

Answer 7

• Spending more time outdoors because sunlight reduces risk for myopia
• Use fewer electronics because it forces near focus
• Take 20 second break every 20 minutes looking 20 feet away