Cataracts Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words - 1

Cataracts - Research Paper Example This therefore means that the lens must be very clear for the retina to be able to receive an image that is sharp. If however the lens is cloudy from the formation of cataract, the image seen will be blurred (Caldwell, 1988). The functioning of the eye is just like that of a camera. Thus there is passage of light rays in the eye through the cornea first and then the aqueous humor (which is a fluid that is transparent in front of the eye), and then via the pupil and finally into the lens. The light rays are then bent onto the retina which lines the back of one’s eye. From this point, the image then passes via the retinal cells, and onto the optic nerve, and eventually onto the back of the brain which finally processes the image. Cataracts will therefore occur when there is protein buildup in the lens which makes it appear cloudy. This leads to the prevention of light from passing clearly via the lens, thus leading to loss of an individual’s vision. There is formation of new lens cells outside the lens, leading to the compacting of all the older cells at the middle of the lens, which results into a cataract (WebMD Medical Reference).Most cataracts start developing when an injury or age causes a change into the tissue that forms the lens of a person’s eye. Under normal circumstances, the lens is usually positioned behind the pupil and the iris and works just like the lens of a camera. Its main function is to focus light onto the retina and at the eye’s back, where the recording of an image takes place. The lens is also responsible for the adjustment of the eye’s focus, making sure that we are able to see things clearly, both those that are far away and upclose.The lens is composed of protein and water. The protein is naturally arranged precisely in a manner that always keeps the lens in a clear form and allows passage of light through it. Old age may however cause the clumping together