Eye Development
Overview
The eye develops from several embryonic tissue layers
Surface Ectoderm
◦ lens
◦ epithelium of cornea
Neuroectoderm
◦ pigmented epithelium
◦ neural retina
Neural crest cells
◦ stroma of cornea
◦ ciliary and iris muscles
◦ vascular choroid layer
◦ fibrous sclera
Mesoderm
◦ contributes to cornea
◦ angioblasts of choroid layer
Formation of Optic Cup
Diencephalic region of neural groove
◦ optic sulcus (22nd day)
◦ optic stalk (24th day)
◦ optic vesicles
surrounded by extraocular mesenchyme (26th day)
neural crest cells & head mesoderm
Sclera
ocular muscles
connective tissue
Cartilage
vascular and endothelial cells
By day 24
◦ distal part of optic vesicle (optic disc)
◦ contacts overlying surface ectoderm
Formation of Optic Cup
On about day 32
◦ optic disc invaginates
converting to optic cup
◦ ventral part of optic stalk invaginates
form choroidal fissure
Later two lips of fissure fuse together
initial induction of eye development
PAX6 (3rd week)
◦ Determine single eye field in the center of
anterior neural plate
SHH
◦ secreted by prechordal plate and notochord
Inhibits expression of PAX6 in midline
upregulates expression of PAX2
Forms 2 individual optic primordia
PAX2
◦ regulates optic stalk differentiation
failure of Shh signaling
◦ persistence of a single eye field
Holoprosencephaly
cyclopia (single, midline eye)
Formation of Lens
As soon as the optic vesicle contacts the surface ectoderm
◦ Surface ectoderm form lens placode
invaginates to form lens pit
By day 33
◦ placode separates from surface ectoderm (Lens vesicle)
its basal lamina
lens capsule
Posterior wall of lens vesicle
differentiate to primary lens fibers (37th day)
express crystallins (α, β, and γ)
Transforms lens vesicle into a lens body (7th week)
Anterior lens epithelial cells
remain proliferative throughout life
migrate peripherally to lens equator
rise to future secondary fetal and adult cortical lens fibers
Secondary lens fibers start to be formed from 6th week
Mesodermally derived mesenchyme
◦ migrate into lentiretinal space
◦ Secrete primary vitreous body
Formation of Retina
two walls of optic cup give rise to two layers of retina
pseudostratified inner wall
◦ neural retina
produce waves of cells
end of 6th week
2 cellular retinal layers
inner and outer neuroblastic layers
By 9th week
external & internal limiting membrane
outer wall
◦ pigmented epithelium
Melanin first appears on 33rd day
its basal lamina, Bruch's membrane
intraretinal space
◦ disappears by 7th week
Formation of Retina
definitive cell layers of mature neural retina arise from inner and outer
neuroblastic layers and apparent by the 8th month
Cellular differentiation progresses in a wave from inner to outer layers
◦ inner neuroblastic layer
Ganglion cell
horizontal cells
amacrine cells
bipolar cells
Müller glia
◦ outer neuroblastic layer
rods and cones
By the 16th week
◦ inner and outer plexiform layers organized
Formation of Optic Nerve
nerve fibers emerge from retinal ganglion cells in 6th week
◦ travel along inner wall of optic stalk
◦ Obliterate stalk lumen (8th week)
optic nerve
Myelinization of optic nerve
◦ begins at optic chiasm around 7 months
◦ continues towards eye
inner layer of optic stalk
◦ glial cells around optic nerve
Vascularization of Optic Cup and
Lens
branch of ophthalmic artery
◦ transient hyaloid artery
Lie in choroidal fissure
access to lentiretinal space
Vascularizes
developing retina and lens vesicle
maximally developed at 10th weeks
distal portion that crosses vitreous body
Degenerates at end of 4th month
it course (hyaloid canal)
proximal portion
central artery of retina
supplies blood to retina
Formation of Choroid and Sclera
During weeks 6 and 7, the mesenchymal capsule that surrounds the optic
cup
differentiates into 2 layers:
◦ outer, fibrous layer
Sclera
homologous with dura mater
◦ inner, pigmented, vascular layer
Choroid
homologous with leptomeninges
neural crest derivatives
stromal cells
Melanocytes
Pericytes
Mesodermal derivatives
endothelial cells
embryonic choriocapillaris
◦ develops at around 2 months
◦ supply blood to retinal epithelium
Formation of Cornea
Late in 6th week, mesenchyme invades between lens and surface
ectoderm
The mesodermal and neural crest cells mesenchyme differentiates
into
◦ corneal endothelium
◦ stroma
◦ trabecular meshwork
overlying surface ectoderm
◦ anterior epithelium
Formation of Anterior and Posterior
By the 9 week
th chamber
◦ mesenchyme overlying the lens Persistence of the iridopupillary membrane
splits into 2 layers
enclose a new cavity
anterior chamber of eye
◦ Anterior wall of chamber
continuous with sclera
◦ Posterior wall of chamber
continuous with choroid
rests directly against lens
its deep portion vacuolated
Create posterior chamber
Its central portion
pupillary membrane
regress to form Pupil
Formation of Iris
At the end of 3rd month
◦ anterior rim of optic cup expand
form a thin ring
projects between anterior and posterior chambers
differentiates into iris
iris
◦ stroma and muscles
develops from ectomesenchyme
◦ posterior epithelium
originate from neuroepithelium of optic cup
Formation of Ciliary Body
posterior to developing iris, optic cup differentiates to ciliary body
◦ optic cup epithelia
Proliferate
form a ring of highly vascularized tissue
◦ neural crest cells
invade to choroid of ciliary body
differentiate to ciliary muscle
Formation of Eyelids
By the 6th week small ectodermal folds with a mesenchymal core appear just
cranial and caudal to developing cornea
◦ upper and lower eyelid primordia
rapidly grow toward each other
meeting and fusing by 8th week
conjunctival sac formed
eyelids separate again (5-7th months)
◦ eyelid muscles derived from mesoderm
lacrimal glands
◦ Ectoderm invaginations in superolateral angles of conjunctival sacs
◦ Mature about 6 weeks after birth
Coloboma
Cyclopia &synophtalmia
Aniridi