The
anterior chamber is the fluid-filled space inside the
eyeEyes are organs that detect light, and send electrical impulses along the optic nerve to the visual and other areas of the brain. Complex optical systems with resolving power have come in ten fundamentally different forms, and 96% of animal species possess a complex optical system...
between the
irisThe iris is a membrane in the eye, responsible for controlling the diameter and size of the pupil and the amount of light reaching the retina. "Eye color" is the color of the iris, which can be green, blue, or brown. In some cases it can be hazel...
and the
corneaThe cornea is the transparent front part of the eye that covers the iris, pupil, and anterior chamber. Together with the lens, the cornea refracts light, accounting for approximately two-thirds of the eye's total optical power. In humans, the refractive power of the cornea is approximately 43...
's innermost surface, the
endotheliumThe endothelium is the thin layer of cells that line the interior surface of blood vessels, forming an interface between circulating blood in the lumen and the rest of the vessel wall. Endothelial cells line the entire circulatory system, from the heart to the smallest capillary...
. Aqueous humor is the fluid that fills the anterior chamber.
HyphemaHyphema is blood in the front chamber of the eye. It may appear as a reddish tinge, or it may appear as a small pool of blood at the bottom of the iris or in the cornea.-Causes:...
and
glaucomaGlaucoma is a group of diseases that affect the optic nerve and involves a loss of retinal ganglion cells in a characteristic pattern. It is a type of optic neuropathy. Raised intraocular pressure is a significant risk factor for developing glaucoma...
are two main pathologies in this area. In hyphema, blood fills the anterior chamber. In glaucoma, blockage of the
canal of SchlemmSchlemm's canal, also known as canal of Schlemm or the scleral venous sinus, is a circular channel in the eye that collects aqueous humor from the anterior chamber and delivers it into the bloodstream....
prevents the normal outflow of aqueous humor, resulting in accumulation of fluid, increased
intraocular pressureIntraocular pressure is the fluid pressure inside the eye.-Physiology and measurement:Intraocular pressure is mainly determined by the coupling of the production of aqueous humor and the drainage of aqueous humor mainly through the trabecular meshwork located in the anterior chamber...
, and eventually blindness.
One peculiar feature of the anterior chamber is dampened immune response to allogenic grafts.
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The
anterior chamber is the fluid-filled space inside the
eyeEyes are organs that detect light, and send electrical impulses along the optic nerve to the visual and other areas of the brain. Complex optical systems with resolving power have come in ten fundamentally different forms, and 96% of animal species possess a complex optical system...
between the
irisThe iris is a membrane in the eye, responsible for controlling the diameter and size of the pupil and the amount of light reaching the retina. "Eye color" is the color of the iris, which can be green, blue, or brown. In some cases it can be hazel...
and the
corneaThe cornea is the transparent front part of the eye that covers the iris, pupil, and anterior chamber. Together with the lens, the cornea refracts light, accounting for approximately two-thirds of the eye's total optical power. In humans, the refractive power of the cornea is approximately 43...
's innermost surface, the
endotheliumThe endothelium is the thin layer of cells that line the interior surface of blood vessels, forming an interface between circulating blood in the lumen and the rest of the vessel wall. Endothelial cells line the entire circulatory system, from the heart to the smallest capillary...
. Aqueous humor is the fluid that fills the anterior chamber.
HyphemaHyphema is blood in the front chamber of the eye. It may appear as a reddish tinge, or it may appear as a small pool of blood at the bottom of the iris or in the cornea.-Causes:...
and
glaucomaGlaucoma is a group of diseases that affect the optic nerve and involves a loss of retinal ganglion cells in a characteristic pattern. It is a type of optic neuropathy. Raised intraocular pressure is a significant risk factor for developing glaucoma...
are two main pathologies in this area. In hyphema, blood fills the anterior chamber. In glaucoma, blockage of the
canal of SchlemmSchlemm's canal, also known as canal of Schlemm or the scleral venous sinus, is a circular channel in the eye that collects aqueous humor from the anterior chamber and delivers it into the bloodstream....
prevents the normal outflow of aqueous humor, resulting in accumulation of fluid, increased
intraocular pressureIntraocular pressure is the fluid pressure inside the eye.-Physiology and measurement:Intraocular pressure is mainly determined by the coupling of the production of aqueous humor and the drainage of aqueous humor mainly through the trabecular meshwork located in the anterior chamber...
, and eventually blindness.
One peculiar feature of the anterior chamber is dampened immune response to allogenic grafts. This is called
anterior chamber associated immune deviation (ACAID), a term introduced in 1981 by
StreileinJ. Wayne Streilein was a scientist whose main area of research was the ocular immune system. He is known particularly for studying the mechanisms that keep the cornea avascular despite the inflammatory and other stimuli that usually promote small blood vessel ingrowth; these peculiar corneal...
et al.