This research project is concerned mainly with the structure and development of the eye and related structures in human embryos and fetuses. The emphasis will be on the development of the eye and the cranial nerves related to it, the orbit and its contents, the eyelids, and the lacrimal apparatus. Embryos and small fetuses will be cut in serial sections and stained with neurological stains. This investigator plans to coordinate his efforts with the research programs at the Carnegie Laboratories of Embryology at the University of California at Davis and the Oregon Regional Primate Research Center in Portland. A large collection of human embryos and fetuses is necessary for these studies. This project will also be concerned with studies on developmental neuro-ophthalmology. This will include not only the optic nerve with its secondary connection in the brain, but the facial, the trigeminal and the eye muscle nerves with a consideration of their central connections and peripheral distribution. The development of the autonomic nerve pathways related to the eye will also be considered. Particular attention will be paid to the sequence of developmental events in the formation of the eye.
NIH ExPorter
NIH ExPorter