AbstractsBiology & Animal Science

Cataract has been defined by Bourne as any pathological condition of the lens which alters its normal transparency. More specifically, a cataract is regarded as a loss of transparency of the lens, or an opacification occurring at any place in the lens or its capsule. Since the lens is an intricate physico-chemical system, changes in the physical and chemical state of the lens proteins which result in loss or transparency or opacification may be brought about by many agents: interference with the normal metabolic processes, alteration in hydrogen ion concentration, disturbance of osmotic equilibrium, and the harmful action of heat, light, and radiation. As a result, cataract presents many complexities with respect to clinical manifestations. [...]