The physical basis of transparency of the normal cornea.

An understanding of the physical basis of corneal transparency has been a subject of interest amongst physicists, basic scientists and ophthalmologists. Impairment of corneal clarity is a significant cause of visual morbidity worldwide. Several highly mathematical treatises have been presented in support of different theories of corneal transparency in the normal cornea relating structure to function, particularly in the years since the advent of the electron microscope, which has brought about a much greater understanding of corneal ultrastructure. This review presents the concepts that underpin the theories of corneal transparency.