Descemet's membrane
Encyclopedia
Descemet's membrane is the basement membrane
that lies between the corneal proper substance, also called stroma, and the endothelial layer
of the cornea
. It is composed of a different kind of collagen (Type VIII) than the stroma. The endothelial layer is located at the posterior of the cornea. Descemet's membrane, as the basement membrane for the endothelial layer, is secreted by the single layer of squamous epithelial cells that compose the endothelial layer of the cornea.
Its thickness ranges from 3 μm at birth to 8-10 μm in adults.
It is also known as the Posterior limiting lamina, posterior elastic lamina, lamina elastica posterior, and membrane of Demours. It was named after French physician Jean Descemet (1732–1810).
Significant damage to the membrane may require a corneal transplant as the endothelial cells depend on it for support and cannot re-grow after injury without it.
The corneal endothelium is a single layer of squamous cells covering the surface of the cornea that faces the anterior chamber
.
Basement membrane
The basement membrane is a thin sheet of fibers that underlies the epithelium, which lines the cavities and surfaces of organs including skin, or the endothelium, which lines the interior surface of blood vessels.- Composition :...
that lies between the corneal proper substance, also called stroma, and the endothelial layer
Corneal endothelium
The corneal endothelium is a single layer of cells on the inner surface of the cornea. It faces the chamber formed between the cornea and the iris....
of the cornea
Cornea
The 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, with the cornea accounting for approximately two-thirds of the eye's total optical power. In humans, the refractive power of the cornea is...
. It is composed of a different kind of collagen (Type VIII) than the stroma. The endothelial layer is located at the posterior of the cornea. Descemet's membrane, as the basement membrane for the endothelial layer, is secreted by the single layer of squamous epithelial cells that compose the endothelial layer of the cornea.
Its thickness ranges from 3 μm at birth to 8-10 μm in adults.
It is also known as the Posterior limiting lamina, posterior elastic lamina, lamina elastica posterior, and membrane of Demours. It was named after French physician Jean Descemet (1732–1810).
Significant damage to the membrane may require a corneal transplant as the endothelial cells depend on it for support and cannot re-grow after injury without it.
See also
- Kayser-Fleischer ringKayser-Fleischer ringKayser-Fleischer rings are dark rings that appear to encircle the iris of the eye. They are due to copper deposition as a result of particular liver diseases. They are named after Dr Bernhard Kayser and Dr Bruno Fleischer, the German doctors who first described them in 1902 and 1903...
The corneal endothelium is a single layer of squamous cells covering the surface of the cornea that faces the anterior chamber
Anterior chamber
The anterior chamber is the fluid-filled space inside the eye between the iris and the cornea's innermost surface, the endothelium. Aqueous humor is the fluid that fills the anterior chamber. Hyphema and glaucoma are two main pathologies in this area. In hyphema, blood fills the anterior chamber...
.