What do the zonules do in the eye?
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Ciliary zonules are a ring of fibrous structures anchoring the ciliary body with the lens of the eye. These are the structures that help to maintain the position of the lens in the optical path, and anchor muscles that change the shape of the lens to alter focus.
What is a zonule?
The zonule, often referred to as the ciliary zonule, is the circumferential suspensory ligament that connects the lens of the eye to the ciliary body. The zonule is composed of an elaborate system of fibers that spans the gap between the lens and the adjacent nonpigmented ciliary epithelium (NPCE).
Where are the zonules of Zinn?
lens
The Zonule of Zinn (known also as the ciliary zonule or the suspensory ligament of the lens) is located immediately behind the iris.
What is zonular instability?
Zonular instability is no doubt the bane of many a cataract surgeon, as the risk for the cataract moving posteriorly or the vitreous moving anteriorly becomes higher, putting patients at risk for such complications as a retinal hole or detachment.
What is zonule lens?
The zonules are the tiny thread-like fibers that hold the eye’s lens firmly in place. The zonules also work with the ciliary muscles to help the lens accommodate (change focus). The zonule fibers tighten and pull the lens for near vision. They relax as the lens flattens for distance vision.
What is the ciliary Zonule?
Purpose: The zonule of Zinn (ciliary zonule) is a system of fibers that centers the crystalline lens on the optical axis of the eye. Mutations in zonule components underlie syndromic conditions associated with a broad range of ocular pathologies, including microspherophakia and ectopia lentis.
What is the zonule of Zinn?
ciliary zonule (zonule of Zinn) a series of fibers connecting the ciliary body and lens of the eye, holding the lens in place. Ciliary zonule.
What is the Zinn Education Project?
The Zinn Education Project promotes and supports the teaching of people’s history in middle and high school classrooms across the country.
What is the function of the zonules?
The zonules are the tiny thread-like fibers that hold the eye’s lens firmly in place. The zonules also work with the ciliary muscles to help the lens accommodate (change focus). The zonule fibers tighten and pull the lens for near vision.
Can zonules be seen with a slit lamp?
The zonules of Zinn are difficult to visualize using a slit lamp, but may be seen with exceptional dilation of the pupil, or if a coloboma of the iris or a subluxation of the lens is present. The number of zonules present in a person appears to decrease with age.