Retina News

It has been projected that by 2029, the majority of age related eye diseases will be retinal degenerative diseases, which causes progressive vision loss. Technology could be the answer- A new research study at USC is looking into the use of Ultrasound to stimulate retinas of the blind. An ultrasound uses sound waves in order to produce an image. It is often used to produce an image of a developing baby inside the mother. This technology can be modified to stimulate vision.

Photoreceptors are the cells of the retina that help us to see. The two types of photoreceptors are rods and cones. Rods are responsible for low light vision, while cones are responsible for color vision. Photoreceptors need lots of energy in the form of ATP to carry out their reactions and signals. This energy comes from the hard work of the mitochondria organelle. Photoreceptors need to utilize more energy at night than during the day. 

Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS) is a condition that explains the changes in a child that may occur if the mother drinks a certain amount of alcohol during pregnancy. Consumption of alcohol during pregnancy can severely impact a fetus because the fetus does not have fully developed mechanisms for processing alcohol in the body as an adult, and the fetus' ability to deliver oxygen can be disrupted. Alcohol can pass through the blood of the mother into circulation in the fetus, causing impaired development of the nervous system, and vital organs such as the heart and kidneys. 

Certain medications and drugs can cause side effects in the eyes. Interactions between drugs and the eyes, a sensitive organ, can range from merely an annoyance to serious conditions. It is important to be aware of the side effects to the eyes due to medications or drugs that you may be using. 

Over time and with several technological advances, eye care has become less invasive and more helpful for an array of eye issues. For instance, the discovery of Laser assisted in situ keratomileusis (LASIK) eye surgery has eradicated the need for many people to wear eye glasses or contact lenses each day. LASIK eye surgery is a procedure that is used in order to correct vision problems in the eye by reshaping the cornea. The procedure is done using a cutting laser for very exact cuts and reshaping. 

An experiment conducted on mice has revealed that aging and damage to the eye could be reversed. A specific group of genes called OSK can help to regenerate axons within retinal ganglion cells (RCGs). Retinal Ganglion cells can be seen below, depicted as the red colored lines in the picture. RCGs are important cells of the eye that gather information from our visual world and send it to the brain through the optic nerve, which is made up of RCGs. The discovery from this experiment is crucial those suffering from glaucoma, a condition in which intraocular pressure increases.

When you think of "spending energy", you likely think of heavy exercise. The muscle straining, sweat glistening, chest heaving exertion, which requires a high level of energy to burn, comes to mind. Standing or sitting still requires very little energy to burn.

The human eye begins to develop around the 17th day of pregnancy and by the 32nd day, the lens of the eye is clearly visible. The iris also begins to form and as it grows, the development of the optic stalk and precursor to the optic nerve establish a connection to the forebrain. 

Around the sixth week, the lacrimal glands begin to form but interestingly enough, do not produce tears until the third month after birth! This is why babies do not shed any tears when they cry. The eyelids begin to form around the 8th week, as seen  

Human circadian rhythms are the natural processes by which our body regulates 24-hour cycles including the most well-known, the sleep cycle. It is an important biological timer that allows our body to properly eat, rest, and regain energy during certain times of the day. It is controlled by the hypothalamus, which will send out signals and chemicals throughout the day to coordinate different processes in the body based on the biological clock.