Vertebrate visual optics: ontogeny, phylogeny and function of the lens

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The vertebrate eye consists of two refractive components, the crystalline lens and the cornea, which focus light on the retina. The lens is cellular and ectodermal and develops through life. Lens optics is governed by shape and refractive index distribution as well as by whether accommodation is brought about by changes in lens shape, as in terrestrial species, or through lens movement, as in aquatic animals. The cornea is the dominant refractive structure in air but makes little or no refractive contribution in water. This research represents an effort to understand a) the effect of the visual environment on the refractive properties of the eye b) the optical limitations imposed by vertebrate ocular development and c) how vertebrates cope with the visual demands of their life histories.