Cornea : Amend The Transplantation
The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare may amend the Transplantation of Human Organs and Tissues Act (THOTA), 1994, to facilitate retrieval of cornea from all Indian patients who die in hospitals, without consent from the family.
- The cornea is the clear outer layer at the front of the eye.
- It covers the pupil (the opening at the center of the eye), iris (the colored part of the eye), and anterior chamber (the fluid-filled inside of the eye).
- The cornea’s main function is to refract, or bend light. The cornea is responsible for focusing most of the light that enters the eye.
- Its specific shape plays a key role in how your eyesight works and filters some ultraviolet (UV) rays.
- Except at its margins, the cornea contains no blood vessels, but it does contain many nerves and is very sensitive to pain or touch.
- Since there are no nutrient-supplying blood vessels in the cornea, tears and the aqueous humor (a watery fluid) in the anterior chamber provide the cornea with nutrients.
- As light passes through the cornea, it is partially refracted before reaching the lens.
- The curvatureof the cornea, which is spherical in infancy but changes with age, gives it its focusing power.
- When the curve becomes irregular, it causes a focusing defect called astigmatism, in which images appear elongated or distorted.
- Because corneas are the first line of defense for the surface of your eye, they’re also prone to injuries and damage.
- The cornea tends to repair itself quickly from minor abrasions.
- However, deeper abrasions may cause scars to form on the cornea, which causes the cornea to lose its transparency, leading to visual impairment.
