Cataracts Research Paper
Nahshon Brown
11/16/11
Human Anatomy 5th Period Cataracts
What is Cataracts if you may ask? A cataract is an eye disease in which the natural lens of the eye gradually degrades the visual quality. The natural lens sits behind the colorful part of the eye known as the iris in the area known as the pupil, which cannot be seen unless it becomes very cloudy. This is crucial, because the lens plays a significant role in focusing a light on the retina at the back of the eye. The retina turns light into a neurologic signal that the brains takes and then interprets it to be vision. What cataracts do is block the light passing through the lens therefore causing visual symptoms and complaints. Where did the term cataracts derive from? Cataracts derived from the Greek term cataractos, which describes rapidly running water. To show the connection between the two terms, when water is turbulent it is transformed from a clear medium to white and cloudy.
What are the causes of cataracts? The lens has a makeup of mostly water and protein. Some of the proteins are responsible for maintaining the clarity of the lens but over the years the structure of the proteins in the lens are altered, which leads to the gradual clouding of the eyes; Cataracts can be present at birth or even in early childhood but it’s very rare. Severe trauma to the eye and even eye surgery can also cause cataracts to occur early. Other factors that could lead to cataracts at an early age would be excessive ultraviolet exposure, diabetes, smoking or the use of medications such as oral, topical or inhaled steroids. Cataracts can occur in one or both of the eyes but one eye has to be worse than the other.
Cataracts are an eye disease that has been around throughout history. The earliest records are from the bible as well as early Hindu records. In the early days, concoctions and eye drops were produced to treat cataracts. Surgical treatment
11/16/11
Human Anatomy 5th Period Cataracts
What is Cataracts if you may ask? A cataract is an eye disease in which the natural lens of the eye gradually degrades the visual quality. The natural lens sits behind the colorful part of the eye known as the iris in the area known as the pupil, which cannot be seen unless it becomes very cloudy. This is crucial, because the lens plays a significant role in focusing a light on the retina at the back of the eye. The retina turns light into a neurologic signal that the brains takes and then interprets it to be vision. What cataracts do is block the light passing through the lens therefore causing visual symptoms and complaints. Where did the term cataracts derive from? Cataracts derived from the Greek term cataractos, which describes rapidly running water. To show the connection between the two terms, when water is turbulent it is transformed from a clear medium to white and cloudy.
What are the causes of cataracts? The lens has a makeup of mostly water and protein. Some of the proteins are responsible for maintaining the clarity of the lens but over the years the structure of the proteins in the lens are altered, which leads to the gradual clouding of the eyes; Cataracts can be present at birth or even in early childhood but it’s very rare. Severe trauma to the eye and even eye surgery can also cause cataracts to occur early. Other factors that could lead to cataracts at an early age would be excessive ultraviolet exposure, diabetes, smoking or the use of medications such as oral, topical or inhaled steroids. Cataracts can occur in one or both of the eyes but one eye has to be worse than the other.
Cataracts are an eye disease that has been around throughout history. The earliest records are from the bible as well as early Hindu records. In the early days, concoctions and eye drops were produced to treat cataracts. Surgical treatment