The quest for the human ocular accommodation mechanism

Paulus T V M de Jong

doi:10.1111/aos.14194

The quest for the human ocular accommodation mechanism

Paulus T V M de Jong

Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience (NIN)

Research output: Contribution to journal/periodical › Article › Scientific › peer-review

55 Downloads (Pure)

Abstract

We have known the accommodation phenomenon since 400 BC. Hypotheses about its mechanisms varied widely for two millennia. Early in the 17th century, when people became more aware of ophthalmic optics, Scheiner and Descartes were close to solving that accommodation worked by changes in the lens. Others rejected their idea, and people even denied the existence of accommodation because there was no clear proof. In the early 19th century, evidence accumulated for accommodation mechanisms studying bird, fish, insect, mammal and human eyes. On the discovery of muscle fibres in the ciliary body, attention shifted to its role in accommodation. Around 1850, came the proof that accommodation occurs by a change in the anterior lens curvature. Still for another 50 years, controversies remained about the exact changes in the lens and the precise accommodation mechanism. On looking back, this is not surprising because only late in the 20th century did it become clear that one cannot extrapolate from the multitude of accommodation mechanisms in the animal kingdom to human eyes.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	98-104
Journal	Acta Ophthalmologica
Volume	98
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1111/aos.14194
Publication status	Published - 2020

Access to Document

10.1111/aos.14194

DeJongPT2020Final published version, 853 KB

Fingerprint Dive into the research topics of 'The quest for the human ocular accommodation mechanism'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this

de Jong, P. T. V. M. (2020). The quest for the human ocular accommodation mechanism. Acta Ophthalmologica, 98, 98-104. https://doi.org/10.1111/aos.14194

@article{6fbc1ee5941040338903468be9da72a4,

title = "The quest for the human ocular accommodation mechanism",

abstract = "We have known the accommodation phenomenon since 400 BC. Hypotheses about its mechanisms varied widely for two millennia. Early in the 17th century, when people became more aware of ophthalmic optics, Scheiner and Descartes were close to solving that accommodation worked by changes in the lens. Others rejected their idea, and people even denied the existence of accommodation because there was no clear proof. In the early 19th century, evidence accumulated for accommodation mechanisms studying bird, fish, insect, mammal and human eyes. On the discovery of muscle fibres in the ciliary body, attention shifted to its role in accommodation. Around 1850, came the proof that accommodation occurs by a change in the anterior lens curvature. Still for another 50 years, controversies remained about the exact changes in the lens and the precise accommodation mechanism. On looking back, this is not surprising because only late in the 20th century did it become clear that one cannot extrapolate from the multitude of accommodation mechanisms in the animal kingdom to human eyes.",

author = "{de Jong}, {Paulus T V M}",

note = "{\textcopyright} 2019 The Author. Acta Ophthalmologica published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Acta Ophthalmologica Scandinavica Foundation.",

year = "2020",

doi = "10.1111/aos.14194",

language = "English",

volume = "98",

pages = "98--104",

journal = "Acta Ophthalmologica",

issn = "1755-375X",

publisher = "Wiley-Blackwell",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - The quest for the human ocular accommodation mechanism

AU - de Jong, Paulus T V M

PY - 2020

Y1 - 2020

N2 - We have known the accommodation phenomenon since 400 BC. Hypotheses about its mechanisms varied widely for two millennia. Early in the 17th century, when people became more aware of ophthalmic optics, Scheiner and Descartes were close to solving that accommodation worked by changes in the lens. Others rejected their idea, and people even denied the existence of accommodation because there was no clear proof. In the early 19th century, evidence accumulated for accommodation mechanisms studying bird, fish, insect, mammal and human eyes. On the discovery of muscle fibres in the ciliary body, attention shifted to its role in accommodation. Around 1850, came the proof that accommodation occurs by a change in the anterior lens curvature. Still for another 50 years, controversies remained about the exact changes in the lens and the precise accommodation mechanism. On looking back, this is not surprising because only late in the 20th century did it become clear that one cannot extrapolate from the multitude of accommodation mechanisms in the animal kingdom to human eyes.

AB - We have known the accommodation phenomenon since 400 BC. Hypotheses about its mechanisms varied widely for two millennia. Early in the 17th century, when people became more aware of ophthalmic optics, Scheiner and Descartes were close to solving that accommodation worked by changes in the lens. Others rejected their idea, and people even denied the existence of accommodation because there was no clear proof. In the early 19th century, evidence accumulated for accommodation mechanisms studying bird, fish, insect, mammal and human eyes. On the discovery of muscle fibres in the ciliary body, attention shifted to its role in accommodation. Around 1850, came the proof that accommodation occurs by a change in the anterior lens curvature. Still for another 50 years, controversies remained about the exact changes in the lens and the precise accommodation mechanism. On looking back, this is not surprising because only late in the 20th century did it become clear that one cannot extrapolate from the multitude of accommodation mechanisms in the animal kingdom to human eyes.

U2 - 10.1111/aos.14194

DO - 10.1111/aos.14194

M3 - Article

C2 - 31347276

VL - 98

SP - 98

EP - 104

JO - Acta Ophthalmologica

JF - Acta Ophthalmologica

SN - 1755-375X

ER -