BPoD has moved!

BPoD has recently changed our domain name - we can now be found at bpod.org.uk

Please update your bookmarks!

Now in our 13th year of bringing you beautiful imagery from biomedical science every day

Search the archive of over 4000 images

Retinal Revelation
21 June 2014

Retinal Revelation

As light enters our eye it passes through the cornea – the transparent skin over the iris and pupil – and the lens. Like glancing arrows, the light rays are bent into focus. They shoot across a clear, gel-filled chamber and strike a layer of light-sensitive cells that line the back of the eye. This is the retina, where the true alchemy begins. The light triggers a cascade of chemical and electrical impulses that race along the optic nerve to the brain, which creates an image – vision. However retinal problems such as age-related macular degeneration – the leading cause of visual impairment in the UK – can lead to blindness. But scientists have managed to grow a human retina from stem cells, which could be used to halt or reverse vision loss. Here, stem cells in the lab-grown retina have differentiated into photoreceptors (stained green) that respond to light.

Written by Nick Kennedy

Search The Archive

Submit An Image

Follow on Tumblr

Follow on Instagram

What is BPoD?

BPoD stands for Biomedical Picture of the Day. Managed by the MRC Laboratory of Medical Sciences until Jul 2023, it is now run independently by a dedicated team of scientists and writers. The website aims to engage everyone, young and old, in the wonders of biology, and its influence on medicine. The ever-growing archive of more than 4000 research images documents over a decade of progress. Explore the collection and see what you discover. Images are kindly provided for inclusion on this website through the generosity of scientists across the globe.

Read More

BPoD is also available in Catalan at www.bpod.cat with translations by the University of Valencia.