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ON THE SPATIAL ORGANIZATION OF THE CORNEA ENDOTHELIUM
Author(s) -
RINGVOLD AMUND,
DAVANGER MARTIN,
OLSEN ERLING GRØNVOLD
Publication year - 1984
Publication title -
acta ophthalmologica
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.534
H-Index - 87
eISSN - 1755-3768
pISSN - 1755-375X
DOI - 10.1111/j.1755-3768.1984.tb08442.x
Subject(s) - hexagonal crystal system , corneal endothelium , cornea , anatomy , cytoplasm , endothelium , descemet's membrane , biophysics , chemistry , biology , materials science , microbiology and biotechnology , crystallography , neuroscience , genetics
A hexagonal pattern is formed by the apical aspects of the corneal endothelial cells. However, by electron microscopy of surface‐parallel sections it can be seen that the basal part of these cells has a highly irregular shape with deep indentations and high ridges. Near the Descemet membrane numerous cytoplasmic processes are tangled together in a bewildering pattern. A few of these processes are exposed to the posterior surface, where they may be seen as small cell‐like areas delineated by cell borders. The hexagonal apical pattern of the endothelium is related to minimum total length of the intercellular apical sealing. This pattern may develop by a minimizing process with analogy to the minimum surface formation of soap bubble film.