• Question: How many layers does a cornea have?

    Asked by crouchingmurloc to Ben, Dave, Ed, Sam, Susana on 17 Jun 2013.
    • Photo: Benjamin Hall

      Benjamin Hall answered on 17 Jun 2013:

      Six.

      The epithilium, which is a thin layer of living cells.

      The Bowman’s layer, which is made of collagen.

      The stroma, which is made of much more thinly distributed collagen and cells called keratocytes.

      Dua’s layer.

      Descemet’s membrane, again made of collagen.

      And lastly, the endothelium, which is another thin layer of cells.

    • Photo: Sam Horrell

      Sam Horrell answered on 17 Jun 2013:

      What he said ^ 🙂

      How about some interesting eye facts as I have nothing to add?

      The cornea is the only living tissue in the human body that does not contain any blood vessels.
      The reason why your nose gets runny when you are crying is because the tears from the eyes drain into the nose.
      and
      The shark cornea has been used in eye surgery, since its cornea is similar to a human cornea.

    • Photo: David Briggs

      David Briggs answered on 17 Jun 2013:

      What Ben said. 😆

    • Photo: Susana Teixeira

      Susana Teixeira answered on 17 Jun 2013:

      I do not know! But hey, I have crystallised a type of proteins that you can find in the cornea and, guess what? They are called crystallin proteins!

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