This specialized text presents a review of general biochemistry and an in-depth exploration of biochemistry unique to the eye. As a readable introduction to this challenging topic, it describes the molecular structures and biochemical events that occur in the eye. Specific clinical examples link basic science to clinical practice and provide a concrete basis for understanding complex concepts. This edition includes new, updated information in revised chapters plus two additional chapters on ocular fluids and pathology. General biochemistry is discussed in each chapter, with examples of biochemical pathology and disease processes such as age-related cataract formation and ocular diabetes.

My first introduction to the eye came more than three decades ago when my close friend and mentor, the late Professor Isaac C. Michaelson, convinced me that studying the biochemistry of ocular tissues would be a rewarding pursuit. I hastened to explain that I knew nothing about the subject, since relatively few basic biochemical studies on ocular tissues had appeared in the world literature. Professor Michaelson assured me, however, that two books on eye biochemistry had already been written. One of them, a beautiful monograph by Arlington Krause ( 1934) of Johns Hopkins Hospital, is we II worth reading even today for its historical perspective. The other, published 22 years later, was written by Antoinette Pirie and Ruth van Heyningen ( 1956), whose pioneering achievements in eye biochemistry at the Nuffield Laboratory of Ophthalmology in Oxford, England are known throughout the eye research community and beyond. To their credit are classical investigations on retinal, corneal, and lens biochemistry, beginning in the 1940s and continuing for many decades thereafter. Their important book written in 1956 on the Biochemistry of the Eye is a volume that stood out as a landmark in this field for many years. In recent years, however, a spectacular amount of new information has been gener ated in ocular biochemistry. Moreover, there is increasing specialization among investiga tors in either a specific field of biochemistry or a particular ocular tissue.

My first introduction to the eye came more than three decades ago when my close friend and mentor, the late Professor Isaac C. Michaelson, convinced me that studying the biochemistry of ocular tissues would be a rewarding pursuit. I hastened to explain that I knew nothing about the subject, since relatively few basic biochemical studies on ocular tissues had appeared in the world literature. Professor Michaelson assured me, however, that two books on eye biochemistry had already been written. One of them, a beautiful monograph by Arlington Krause ( 1934) of Johns Hopkins Hospital, is we II worth reading even today for its historical perspective. The other, published 22 years later, was written by Antoinette Pirie and Ruth van Heyningen ( 1956), whose pioneering achievements in eye biochemistry at the Nuffield Laboratory of Ophthalmology in Oxford, England are known throughout the eye research community and beyond. To their credit are classical investigations on retinal, corneal, and lens biochemistry, beginning in the 1940s and continuing for many decades thereafter. Their important book written in 1956 on the Biochemistry of the Eye is a volume that stood out as a landmark in this field for many years. In recent years, however, a spectacular amount of new information has been gener ated in ocular biochemistry. Moreover, there is increasing specialization among investiga tors in either a specific field of biochemistry or a particular ocular tissue.

Biochemistry of Vision provides information pertinent to vision biochemistry. This book discusses the biochemical information derived primarily from studies on nonocular tissues and describes the biochemical reactions related to the function of the retina and pigmented epithelium. Organized into 16 chapters, this book begins with an overview of the visual system and the structure of the vertebrate eye. The text then proceeds with a discussion of photoreceptor, which has a highly membranous structure. Other chapters cover a brief discussion of several topics, including biomembranes, photochemistry, spectral properties of retinal isomers, and the photochemical properties of the chromophore of rhodopsin. This book discusses as well the properties and intramembrane disposition of rhodopsin. The final chapter deals with the biochemistry of photoreceptor disorders and summarizes the basic knowledge on neurotransmitters and electrophysiology in the retina. This book is intended for ophthalmologists and medical students who are interested in the molecular aspects of photoreceptor diseases.

Acknowledgement This book is the result of a collective effort. Due to an oversight, mention of three of the contributors who played an especially decisive role in bringing the work to fruition was omitted from the book. They should share fully in the intellectual credits accruing from this publication. I would therefore like to acknowledge and thank the following for their outstanding contributions to editing the work: Dr. Morten Dornonville la Cour (MD, Dr. Med. Sci.) solicited and edited the chapters on retina, RPE, choroid, vitreous, immunology, and sclera. Dr. la Cour is a Lecturer, Eye Department, Copenhagen University Hospital, specializes in vitreoretinal surgery, and frequently lectures in the international scene. A trained mathematician, he has done research in retinal pigment epithelial physiology in the laboratories of Drs. Thomas Zeuthen and Sheldon Miller. Dr. Friedrich P.J. Diecke and Dr. Elliott M. Kanner also provided invaluable editorial assistance. Dr Diecke, who was formerly Professor and Chairman of the Department of Physiology, UMDNJ-New Jersey Medical School, is a Professor Emeritus at that institution. His research has concentrated on membrane transport mechanisms in lens epithelial cells, corneal endothelial cells and peripheral nerve and on the regulation of vascular smooth muscle contraction. Dr. Elliott M. Kanner was born in Canada in 1970. He graduated from Yale University in 1992 with a BS/MS degree in Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry. He received his PhD degree from the Rockefeller University in 1999 and his MD degree from Weill/Cornell in 2001. He is currently an Ophthalmology resident at Columbia University. Jorge Fischbarg, December 2005 This book explores the many recent novel ideas about the eye in a systematic and synthetic way. It includes both basic sciences and applications towards clinical research. Chapters include both anatomical and functional descriptions of the different ocular tissues and treatments of a few subjects of practical importance for ophthalmologists. This book is intended for students in basic biomedical science interested in the eye, as well as ophthalmologists a comprehensive source on recent developments in ocular research.* Combines basic science and practical opthalmological subjects * Written with the simplicity of a textbook, while maintaining the comprehensive and rigorous approach of science papers * Includes contributions by well-known experts

The Eye: Basic Sciences in Practice provides highly accessible, concise coverage of all the essential basic science required by today's ophthalmologists and optometrists in training. It is also essential reading for those embarking on a career in visual and ophthalmic science, as well as an invaluable, current refresher for the range of practitioners working in this area. This new fourth edition has now been fully revised and updated in line with current curricula, key research developments and clinical best practice. It succinctly incorporates the massive strides being made by genetics and functional genomics based on the Human Genome Project, the new understanding of how the microbiome affects all aspects of immunology, the remarkable progress in imaging technology now applied to anatomy and neurophysiology, as well as exciting new molecular and other diagnostic methodologies now being used in microbiology and pathology. All this and more collectively brings a wealth of new knowledge to students and practitioners in the fields of ophthalmology and visual science. For the first time, this (print) edition also now comes with bonus access to the complete, fully searchable electronic text - including carefully selected additional information and new video content to further explain and expand on key concepts - making The Eye a more flexible, comprehensive and engaging learning package than ever before. The only all-embracing textbook of basic science suitable for trainee ophthalmologists, optometrists and vision scientists - other books concentrate on the individual areas such as anatomy. Attractive page design with clear, colour diagrams and text boxes make this a much more accessible book to learn from than many postgraduate textbooks. Presents in a readable form an account of all the basic sciences necessary for an understanding of the eye - anatomy, embryology, genetics, biochemistry, physiology, pharmacology, immunology, microbiology and infection and pathology. More on molecular pathology. Thorough updating of the sections on pathology, immunology, pharmacology and immunology. Revision of all other chapters. More colour illustrations Comes with complete electronic version