The Vitreous

Book excerpt: The vitreous body long has been the most mysterious of all ocular structures, owing perhaps to its seeming simplicity. There have been few concerted, sustained efforts to unravel the mysteries of how the vitreous is composed and what role it plays in normal physiology. Over the years, however, many studies have produced independent findings concerning vitreous biochemistry, structure, and physiology. The Vitreous organizes these findings into a well-constructed compendium that not only addresses the most current scientific knowledge, but also reviews historical perspec tives in a manner that lends richness to the scope of the book. The first few chapters present an exhaustive, yet readable, review of the body of scientific data that have come from laboratories and researchers throughout the world. Extensive bibliographies direct interested readers further into specific aspects of the basic science of the vitreous. Chapter II: "Embryology" and Chapter IV: "Structure" present a novel organizational approach to assembling and presenting data in an integrated manner. Chapter V: "Functions" and Chapter VI: "Development and Aging" introduce fresh perspectives on the importance of the vitreous as some thing more than a vestigial space filler within the eye.