Crystalline Lens
The crystalline lens is a transparent lens located behind the iris. The shape of the lens changes according to where an object is located in front of the eye. For an object far away, the lens is its thinnest, focusing the image on the retina. As the object approaches, the lens slowly thickens to keep the image on the retina. As we age, the lens begins to get less elastic. It begins to lose its ability to change shape, especially getting thicker for near objects. Since this happens, people usually need glasses to help the eye focus the light on the retina. The lens also begins to lose its transparency. The older we get, the more yellow the lens will become. This yellowing of the lens is called a cataract. A lens that has a cataract can be removed and replaced with a synthetic lens.
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