Our eyes are windows to the soul. They enchant us with the power of wordless speech. Whereas most animals rely on hearing and smell, we put our trust in sight for our survival and quality of life. It is no wonder, then, that loss of vision is such a dreaded event, the most feared of all disabilities.
Eyes are for seeing, expressing the emotions and much more.
When they open, the central nervous system and the circulatory system are exposed. This happens nowhere else in the body. That is why scientists have the greatest interest in learning how the retina functions. Basic knowledge of the retina is yielding clues to many systemic diseases such as Alzheimer's disease and arteriosclerosis. It should be no surprise, therefore, to learn that scientists consider the eye as the laboratory of the body with the retina as its workbench.