The optical properties of the ocular lens are important to overall vision quality. As a transparent biological tissue, the lens contributes to the overall and dynamic focussing power of the eye, and corrects for optical errors introduced by the cornea. The optical properties of the lens change throughout life. Alterations to the refractive properties and transparency of the lens result in presbyopia and cataract, respectively. However, it is not well understood how changes to lens cellular structure and function initiate these changes in refraction and transparency. Here, we attempt to bridge this knowledge gap by reviewing how the optical properties of the lens are first established, and then maintained at the cellular level throughout the lifetime of an individual. Central to this understanding is the fact that the lens has a microcirculation system that generates a flux of ions and water that circulates through the lens. By supporting ionic and metabolic homeostasis in the lens, the system actively maintains lens transparency, and by regulating the steady state water content of the lens, controls the two key parameters, lens geometry and the gradient of refractive index, which determine the refractive properties of the lens. Thus, water transport is emerging as the critical parameter that links the transparency and refractive properties of the lens at the cellular level, and highlights the need to study how age-related changes in water transport result in presbyopia and cataract, the leading causes of refractive error and blindness in the world today.

人工晶状体的光学特性对整体视觉质量很重要。作为透明的生物组织，晶状体有助于眼睛的整体和动态聚焦能力，并校正由角膜引入的光学误差。镜片的光学特性在整个使用寿命中都会发生变化。晶状体的折射特性和透明度的改变分别导致老花眼和白内障。然而，对于晶状体细胞结构和功能的变化如何引发折射和透明度的这些变化，人们尚不十分了解。在这里，我们试图通过回顾如何首先建立晶状体的光学特性，然后在个体的整个生命周期中将其保持在细胞水平上来弥合这一知识鸿沟。该理解的中心在于，透镜具有微循环系统，该系统会产生离子和水的流通量，这些离子和水会通过透镜循环。通过支持晶状体中的离子和代谢稳态，该系统可主动保持晶状体的透明度，并通过调节晶状体的稳态水含量，控制两个关键参数，即晶状体几何形状和折射率梯度，这些参数决定了晶状体的折射特性。镜头。因此，水的运输正在成为连接晶状体在细胞水平上的透明度和折射特性的关键参数，并强调需要研究与年龄有关的水运输变化如何导致老花眼和白内障，这是导致屈光的主要原因当今世界的错误和盲目性。