Ocular Physiology Flashcards
What is the most common type of blinking?
Spontaneous
Average blinks per min?
12-15
Which part of the eyes allows for spontaneous blinking?
palpebral
What is the main function for spontaneous blinking?
maintain optics and comfort of the eye by stabilizing the tear film
Which CN are responsible for sensory blinking?
2 (dazzle and menace)
5 (reflex)
8 (loud noises)
Which CN are responsible for motor blinking?
CN 7
Which reflex blink does NOT involve the cortex?
2 (dazzle)
The efferent loop of reflex blinking in response to auditory, touch/irritation, and menacing stimuli begins where?
frontal lobe
only dazzle reflex blinking does NOT involve the cortex
Which portion of the eyelid is responsible for spontaneous and reflex blinking?
palpebral portion
Winking requires contraction of what?
orbital and palpebral portion of the orbicularis oculi
Benign essential blepharospasm is caused by spasms of which muscles?
orbicularis oculi, procerus, corrugator
Tight or forced eyelid closure is a contraction of which part of the eye?
orbicularis oculi
Bells Phenomenon
normal defense reflex that occurs after forced eyelid closure and is characterized by up and outward rotation of the globe
what type of gland is the MG and zeiss?
holocrine
Krause and wolfring are what type of glands?
accessory lacrimal glands that contributes to the aqueous layer of the tear film
Which muscle surrounds the canaliculi for drainage?
muscle of horner contracts causing the canaliculi to shorten as they move medially to the lacrimal sac
remember that the muscle of horner’s is part of the palpebral ortion of the orbicularis oculi
What helps w/ tear drainage?
temporal to medial eyelid closure during blink, contraction of muscles of horner, and negative pressure of the lacrimal sac (stretch of lacrimal sac away from the nose)
How many eyelashes do we have on the upper lid and lower lid?
150 on UL and 75 on LL
The palpebral portion of the eyelid is further divided into which 2 muscles?
horners and riolan
Why is the tear film important?
- Optical (largest change in refractive index occurs btw air/tear film interface)
- Nutritional (primary source of O2)
- Mechanical (remove debris and metabolic waste)
- Antibacterial (tear film contains lysozyme, lactoferrin, and IgA, and other proteins of the immune system)
- Corneal transparency (the tear film has a specific osmolarity (308) and corneal epithelial cells helping to prevent corneal edema)
What is the osmolarity of tears?
308, anything higher = dry eye
What is the tear film thickness?
3um
What is the anterior lipid composed of?
free fatty acid, cholesterol, waxy esters
What are the main functions of the aqueous layer?
- protection (via antibacterial proteins)
- provides glucose to corneal epithelium
- adds thickness to the tear film
What does the aqueous layer contain?
- Water (main component)
- Electrolytes Na, K, Cl-
- Antimicrobial: IgA, lactoferrin (chelates Fe2+), lysozyme (chelates peptidoglycans), betalysin (destroys cytoplasmic membrane), interferin
- Lipocalins (enhance spreadability and acts like a carrier for all-trans retinol, blocks FE2+ from binding on bacteria)
- Vit A (imp for goblet cells)
- Enzyme cofactors: Fe2+ Mg2+, Cu2+, Ca2+ (helps maintain membrane permeability of corneal epithelial cells)
- HCO3 (buffer for tears)
- Solutes: glucose, urea, lactate, citrate, ascorbate, AA
- Additional proteins: albimumin, GF, interleukins, VEGF
Is there more K+ blood in the tears or blood
tears
the main lacrimal gland is innervated by which CN?
7
What increases under closed eye conditions
albumin and IgA
What produces the aqueous layer?
main lacrimal gland, krause, and wolfring
Which glands are responsible for reflex and emotional tearing?
lacrimal
Which glands are responsible for maintenance tearing?
acessory glands
Which glands are responsible for basal tearing?
main and accessory lacrimal gland
Which CN causes lacrimation
V1
CN7
CN 2
What are the main functions of the mucin layer?
spread tears across corneal surface
removes debris, bacteria and sloughed epithelial cells
able to mix lipid and water
What produces mucin
goblet cells
Where are goblet cells predominantly found?
inferonasal fornix and bulbar conjunctiva
What do goblet cells require?
Vit A which is found in the aqueous layer of the tears as all-trans retinol
Deficiency in Vit A can cause what?
Bitot spot = keratinization of the cornea and conjunctiva, which can cause night blindness
usually found in underdeveloped countrys
Mucous fishing syndrome
occur as a result of pts fishing for and removing excess mucous in the conjunctiva
damage to the conjunctival epithelium can increase mucous production
What does the mucin layer interact with?
glycocalyx of the corneal epithelium, allowing tear film to be evenly spread across the corneal and conjunctival epithelium
What does TBUT test for?
evaporation of the aqueous layer due to insufficient lipid layer
less than 10 sec is abnormal
Elimination of tears
25% evaporation
75% drains through the nasolacrimal system or via absorption into the conjunctival or nasolacrimal vasculature
What is the total tear volume?
7-9uL
max amount of fluid teh eye can hold within the tear film
20-30uL
What is the normal tear production
1uL/min
An average eye drop contains how many uL?
50uL
What is the osmolarity of the eye?
308 mOsm/L and isotonic
What are the main contributors to tear osmolarity?
Na+, cl-, ca2+, K+
What is calcium important for in the eye?
hemidesmosomes
too much calcium can cause “jelly bumps” on cls
Does dry eye increase or decrease tear osmolarity?
increase
Eye drops for dry eyes have an osmolarity of?
150 mOsm/L
hypotonic eye drops
What is the average pH of tears?
7.45
pH of tears during sleep becomes more ___ ?
acidic due to byproducts of anaerobic respiration
Most ophthalmic solution are __?
weak bases
What does the middle ear contain?
tympanic cavity
auditory ossicles (malleus, incus and stapes) MIS
Which muscles of the ear dampens sound? What CN are they innervated by?
stapedius (CN 7) and tensor tympani muscle (V3)
What carries taste sensation to the anterior 2/3 of the tongue?
chorda tympani nerve of CN 7
What is the main function of the inner ear?
converts mechanical vibrations to neural signal
What does the vestibulocochlear organ help with?
maintain balance, receive sound, contribute to ocular reflex actions
What does the bony labyrinth consist of? What are the functions of each?
located in the middle ear and consists of
- Cochlea - shell shaped & contains organ of corti that contains hair cells that control hearing
- Vestibule - Detect linear acceleration (mvmt of head or body from side to side) and cause reflex eye mvmts (linear VOR) that are equal and opposite to the motion of the head
- Semicirculuar canal - detect angular acceleartion ( rotational mvmts and angular VOR)
What does the vestibule contain?
ultricle - horizontal linear mvmt
saccule - vertical linear mvmt
vestibule - continuous with the cochlear duct for hearing
What separates the external and middle ear?
tympanic membrane
Voluntary mvmts are a combination of?
saccades and pursuits
What is saccades controlled by?
rapid eye mvmts that maintain fixation on the object of regard
FEF and superior colliculus
ex. right frontal lobe controls saccades toward the left
What is pursuits controlled by?
smooth tracking mvmts that maintain foveation on slow moving objects
ipsilateral parietal lobe
ex. right pursuit is driven by the right parietal lobe
What is vergence driven by?
control vergences is presumably located at the level of the brainstem
driven by retinal disparity and help maintain sensory fusion and stereopsis
The corneal epithelial has what type of junctions?
zonula occludens
Which layers are hydrophilic and lipophilic
epithelium (lipophilic)
stroma (hydrophilic)
endothelium (lipophilic)
What type of junctions do endothelial cells have?
macula occludens
What type of junctions does the stroma have?
zonula adherens
Which layers absorb shorter wavelenghts of UV light?
corneal epithelium and bowman’s layer, protect inner layers from UVB and UVC (below 300 nm)
the lens absorbs which wavelenghths of UV light?
300-400 UVB
the retina absorbs which wavelength of UV light?
400-700 UVA
UVC causes what damages to the eye?
snow-blindness, welder’s keratitis, tanning sun lamps
Which factors contribute to minmize light scattering and optimal corneal transparency?
- corneal crystallins
- Ascorbate (Vit C) and glutathione
- collagen fibrils that have uniform size and are precisely spaced (less than 1/2 the wavelength of visible light from one another)
- Avascular nature of the cornea
- Proteoglycans and precise spacing
- High water content
Where are corneal crystallins located?
cytoplasm of epithelial and endothelial cells - help maintain corneal transparency by limiting light scattering
What type of collagen does the cornea have?
Type 1
What are proteoglycans composed of?
core protein with one or more covalently linked GAG side chains
What is the major proteoglycan in the corneal stroma?
keratin sulfate
Deturgescence relies on which part of the cornea?
endothelium and epithelial transport
and aquaporins are imp for deturgescence
The basal membrane of the epithelium contains what 2 transport mechanism?
Na+/K+ ATPase pump :
uses energy to transport Na into the corneal stroma (higher Na in the stroma than the epithelium)
Na+/K+/Cl- co transporter:
passively tranports Na/K/Cl from the stroma into the epithelial cells
Movement of K+ into the aqueous humor will stimulate what?
cl- to move into the tears, water will follow cl- contributing to dehydration of the cornea
Which channel responds to pH changes?
K+ channels
K+ channels move more K+ into the aqueous causing more cl- and H2O to move into the tear film to restore normal corneal thickness
The endothelium uses which pump?
Na+/K+ ATPase pump, located on the basolateral memebrane and Na/H+ pump
Na/K+ ATPase pumps Na out into the aqueous humor (higher Na concentration in the aqueous humor)
Na/H+ pumps H+ out into the aqueous humor and Na+ into the endothelium and Co2 diffuses into the endothelial cell
Where does bicarb move from the endothelium
Bicarb and cl- will move to the aqueous humor, H2O will follow
What are the major factors for water transport across the epithelium and endothelium?
cl- excretion and N+ absorption
aquaporins (bidirection water transport)
What is the total amount of pressure in the atmosphere
760mmHg
What is the partial pressure of oxygen in the air and tears (open eyed conditions)?
155mmHg, oxygen is 1/5 of the atmosphere 760mmHg
What is the partial pressure in closed eye conditions?
55mmHg
What supplies oxygen to the front and back of the eyes during closed eye conditions?
superior palpebral conjunctiva (anterior) and the aqueous humor (posterior)
When is the cornea the thickest and why?
Morning, due to build-up of lactate from anaerobic respiration and the limited O2 supply when the eyes are closed
What is the critical PPO2 of the cornea?
10-20mmHg, partial pressure must be above the critical value when wearing cls while sleeping (minus lens are thinner and more capable of transporting O2 compared to plus lens)
What is the formula for looking at how O2 flows to the cornea during cls wear?
J/A = Dk/t (P1-P2)
J/A = oxygen flow over a certain area
Dk = oxygen permeability
Transmissibility (Dk/t) = measures how much O2 will diffuse through a cls of a given thickness
What happens to the ions during corneal hypoxia?
accumulation of H+ produced via glycolysis resulting in acidity of corneal cells
Decreased corneal pH causes a massive efflux of K+ from keratocytes causing collagen damage and scar formation
What is the primary contributor of glucose to the cornea?
aqueous humor (as well as AA and vitamins for the cornea)
Where is glucose stored in the cornea?
corneal epithelium (for basal cell mitosis & wound healing)
the endothelium also uses glucose for Na+/K+ ATPase pumps
How many days does it take for the cornea to regenerate itself?
7-14 days
Where are limbal stem cells located
Palisade of Vogt
What are the only mitotic cells in the epithelium?
Basal cells
What is the process of epithelial regeneration?
Basal cells differentiate into wing cells and then squamous cells before reaching the corneal surface. Superficial old cornea are shed as this process occurs
- basal cell mitosis is inhibited
- After injury of epithelium/stroma fibronectin is released, serves as a scaffold for epithelial cells to migrate over the wound in response to the release of cytokines and GF. Hemidesmosomes are then created to allow for proper adhesion between migrated epithelial cells and BM
- Basal cell mitosis resumes at a rapid rate. This occurs once the wound is closed with a single layer of cells and cell to cell junctions are created
if BM is damaged then corneal regeneration occurs more slowly
Complete healing of the BM w/ intact hemidesmosomes takes how long?
8 weeks
What degrades hemidesmosomes formation?
MMPs
corticosteroids and tetracyclines are used to decrease activity of MMPs and used in tx of RCEs
RCE is the result of poor adhesion between which 2 layers?
epithelium and BM from previous abrasions or corneal dystrophy
Which layers CANNOT regenerate?
Bowmans and endothelium
“bowmans bows out if it’s damaged, D-3 will regenerate via endothelium”
Which layers can regenerate?
Descemet’s and epithelium
Where does the corneal nerves enter at what level?
mid stroma and up
majority of the nerves are considered ___ ?
nocioceptors (naked receptors) - low threshold and mediate pain
What are common causes of neurotropic keratitis (CN V damage)
Herpes simplex and zoster, stroke and DM
Aging changes of the cornea
more ATR
Light scattering incr
corneal sensitivity decr
corneal arcus
descemets thickens - incr hassall henle bodies in the corneal periphery
endothelial cell density decr as endothelium becomes thinner with age
the lens provide ___ of the total dioptric power of the eye
1/3
What changes occur in the lens during accommodation?
parasympathetic stimulation causes contraction of the ciliary muscle, resulting in a decrease in tension in the zonules
anterior pole moves forward and anterior curvature increases
the posterior pole moves back and posterior curvature increases
lens thickness and increases
anterior depth decr
lens diamter decr
lens power incr
does accommodation incr or decr IOP
Both!
decr b/c ciliary muscle contraction pulls the scleral spur posteriorly and opens up the pores of the TM
incr b/c the anterior pole of the lens move forward causing narrowing of the angle which may induce pupillary block (imp adverse effect of pilo)
What produces most of the glucose in the lens?
anaerobic glycolysis
What produces glucose in the epithelium
Krebs cycle (aerobic glycolysis)
What is the first step for both aerobic and anaerobic respiration?
conversion of glucose to glucose 6 phosphate via hexokinase
What causes too much water to enter the lens?
excess sorbital, creates an osmotic gradient that favors movement of water into the lens
too much sorbital can lead to cataracts
What protects the lens from oxidative damage?
- Glutathione
- Ascorbic acid (Vit C)
What is the function of glutathione and where does the lens get glutathione from?
Glutathione is a reducing agent and detoxifies hydrogen peroxide
It comes from the aqueous humor but can also be synthesized from the lens epithelial cells and superficial fiber transport
glutathione decreases with age resulting in cataracts
What is the function of ascorbic acid (vit C)?
protects lens from oxidative damage
higher concentration in lens compared to the aqueous humor
Review: What drugs can cause cataract formation?
PSC: steroids
ASC: Amiodarone, chlorpromazine, thioridazine, miotics
Which factors help with lens transparency?
- Na/K pumps on the lens epithelium. (Na+ into the aqueous humor and K+ into the lens)
- avascular
- no membrane bound organelles in the lens fiber
- packed lens fiber and uniformly spaced
- crystallins in the cytoplasm of lens fibers
- multiple transport that limits Ca2+ into the lens preventing cataract formation
Review: What are some significant age-related changes to the lens that can cause cataracts?
decreased glutathione
increased calcium
decreased alpha crystallin
What is the embryonic nucelus formed from?
primary lens fiber of the lens epithelium
the remaining growth of the lens are from 2’ lens fibers of the anterior epithelium
Which part of the lens has the greatest metabolic demand?
Anterior lens epithelium
Mitosis of fiber cells occur in the germinative zone of the anterior lens epithelium which then migrate into the equator where fiber elongation occurs
aqueous humor provides nutrients for the ant epithelium
What part of the lens is responsible for transporting nutrients from the aqueous humor?
anterior lens epithelium
Na+/K+ ATPase pumps
List some age-related changes in the lens
- decreased alpha crystallin
- lens thickness increase 0.2mm per year
- ant lens capsule thickness
- decr radius of curvature of ant and post lens
- lens move ant, decr ant chamber depth
- AA decr with age
- Glutathione decr, Na+, Ca2+, and water incr inside lens
- Nuclear fibers begin to lose nucleus and organelles
What is the molecular chaperone of the lens?
alpha crystallins, reduces degradation of lens fiber cells