CHAPTER 5 - Culture of the Lens (33°)

Abstract

Publisher Summary This chapter explains the different types of systems used for culture of lenses. The lens has long been recognized as an ideal experimental material for the study of the metabolism of the permeability of an organ in vitro . The types of systems used to culture the lens have been classified into perfusion or open systems, batch systems, and closed systems. An open or perfusion system is one that exchanges both energy and matter with the environment and a closed system is one that exchanges energy but not matter with the environment. The batch system is a modification of the closed system, whereby the culture fluid is removed entirely at specific time intervals and replaced with a volume of fresh fluid. For all practical purposes, it can be considered a closed system with repeated smaller time intervals of culture. It is found that ascorbic acid is a major constituent of posterior chamber aqueous humor and appears to be secreted by the ciliary body so that it is present in the rabbit aqueous humor at approximately 20 times its level in plasma.