Vitreous Physiology

Abstract

The translucency of the vitreous makes its full structure and composition challenging to completely elucidate, but what is known about the anatomy and biochemistry of this body and its impact on optic function is fundamental to understanding ocular health and disorders, as it carries out several important functions within the eye. The particular makeup of structural protein fibers is known to play a pivotal role in stabilizing the vitreous and maintaining its morphological integrity, and disruptions in this network, due to genetics, disease, or environmental changes, may result in certain conditions and ocular pathologies. Research has recently shown that the concentrations of ions, nutrients, and other proteins and small molecules in the vitreous can also be affected by disease. Age-related changes to the vitreous are predominantly due to changes in the density and increasing liquefaction, which weaken its structural integrity and adhesion to the internal limiting membrane and may result in posterior vitreous detachment or collapse of the vitreous body. Familiarity with the anatomy, biochemistry, and development of, and changes to the vitreous facilitates an increased knowledge of its role in maintaining overall ocular health and may also further the understanding of certain conditions and ocular pathologies.