How does the cornea get oxygen without blood vessels? - ProProfs Discuss
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How does the cornea get oxygen without blood vessels?

How does the cornea get oxygen without blood vessels?

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Asked by F.William, Last updated: Mar 28, 2024

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5 Answers

L. Gibson

L. Gibson

L. Gibson
L. Gibson, Science Professor

Answered Jan 28, 2021

It is amazing that there is no blood vessel in the cornea, and yet it still gets the needed oxygen. The absence of blood vessels in the cornea allows it to be transparent so that light can easily pass through it. The cornea gets its oxygen from the air even without having blood vessels.

This part of the eye gets its oxygen through the dissolved oxygen in tears. However, the dissolved oxygen in tears then spread over the cornea. The same process is repeated when there is a need for carbon dioxide to be released into the atmosphere.

Also, the cornea can get oxygen through the aqueous humor, but the process is a little bit slower than when oxygen passes through the front eye. When the cornea does not get enough Oxygen, it becomes less transparent, and it can also cause other eye problems.

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G. Cole

G. Cole

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G. Cole
G. Cole, English Professor, PhD, Canterbury

Answered Jan 22, 2021

Corneas do not have blood vessels. It is a good thing that corneas do not have blood vessels because if it did, light would not be able to enter the eye and a person would not be able to clearly see. As it does not have blood vessels, a cornea gets oxygen from the tears that are cried. When tears are cried, the air's oxygen dissolves into the tears. Once the oxygen dissolves into the tears, then the oxygen is spread and distributed through the cornea.

This is why it is important to properly care for contact lenses because if not, the oxygen that enters the cornea could be dirty and cause an infection.

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J. Alfie

J. Alfie

I Write for myself and many other clients. Blog post, Article writing and writing for ProProfs is my daily thing.

J. Alfie
J. Alfie, Content Writer, Masters in Literature, Dallas,Texas

Answered Jan 20, 2021

It may come as a surprise to people that the cornea will only have blood vessels on the edges. They would be able to get enough oxygen by metabolizing the area surrounding the cornea. This will be effective in modifying its access to the air that can be found in the environment.

The oxygen will be very helpful to ensure that the cornea and the rest of the eye will not feel too tired. Some people have more sensitive eyes and will not be allowed to wear contact lenses because contact lenses will reduce the amount of oxygen that can be received by the cornea.

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A. Cook

A. Cook

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A. Cook
A. Cook, English Professor, M.A, Ph.D, Kentucky

Answered Oct 31, 2018

When the cornea cannot get enough oxygen from the blood, it would rely on the oxygen that is found in the air. The oxygen will diffuse in the tear ducts then it will spread all over the eye in order to keep the cornea happy. Do remember that the tissues that are surrounding the cornea are transparent because there are no blood vessels that are available through them.

It is important for the cornea to get enough oxygen and other nutrients so that it can function properly. For people who wear contact lenses, it is important that contact lenses will be removed before sleeping or the cornea will not get the oxygen and nutrients it deserves.

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V. Barnes

V. Barnes

V. Barnes
V. Barnes

Answered May 18, 2018

A cornea does not have blood vessels because it if did, the blood vessels would block light from entering the eye and you would not be able to see clearly. So, a cornea gets its oxygen from tears. Oxygen from the air is dissolved in tears and then it is distributed or spread throughout the cornea.

The opposite happens to the carbon dioxide that is the waste product. Since wearing contact lenses can slow down this process, it is important to keep any contact lenses clean and care for them properly otherwise you may develop eye infections and other problems caused by a lack of oxygen.

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