Open AccessSecond harmonic generation imaging of collagen fibrils in cornea and sclera
Author(s) -
Meng Han,
Günter Giese,
Josef F. Bille
Publication year - 2005
Publication title -
optics express
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.394
H-Index - 271
ISSN - 1094-4087
DOI - 10.1364/opex.13.005791
Subject(s) - sclera , cornea , collagen fibril , materials science , optics , fibril , second harmonic generation , microscopy , connective tissue , electron microscope , optical coherence tomography , biophysics , ophthalmology , pathology , medicine , laser , physics , biology
Collagen, as the most abundant protein in the human body, determines the unique physiological and optical properties of the connective tissues including cornea and sclera. The ultrastructure of collagen, which conventionally can only be resolved by electron microscopy, now can be probed by optical second harmonic generation (SHG) imaging. SHG imaging revealed that corneal collagen fibrils are regularly packed as a polycrystalline lattice, accounting for the transparency of cornea. In contrast, scleral fibrils possess inhomogeneous, tubelike structures with thin hard shells, maintaining the high stiffness and elasticity of the sclera.