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Crystalline Lens


The crystalline lens is a transparent, flexible structure located directly behind the iris and in front of the vitreous body. Its primary function is to focus light onto the retina, allowing for clear vision at different distances. The lens changes shape (a process called accommodation) to adjust focus between objects that are near and far. Over time, the lens can lose its flexibility, leading to presbyopia (difficulty focusing on close objects), and it can become cloudy, leading to cataracts.

  • Function: The crystalline lens works with the cornea to refract light and focus it on the retina, where images are processed. It adjusts its shape through the contraction of the ciliary muscles, which allows the eye to focus on objects at varying distances. The lens is also responsible for about one-third of the eye’s focusing power, with the cornea providing the rest.
  • Age-Related Changes: As people age, the lens becomes less flexible, leading to presbyopia, which typically begins in the early to mid-40s. This loss of flexibility makes it harder to focus on near objects, necessitating reading glasses or other corrective measures. In older adults, the lens may also develop cataracts, which are clouding of the lens that can impair vision.
  • Treatment: If the lens becomes cloudy due to cataracts, surgical removal and replacement with an artificial intraocular lens (IOL) is a common and highly effective treatment. For presbyopia, options include reading glasses, bifocals, multifocal contact lenses, or surgical procedures like LASIK or lens implants to improve near vision.

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