crystalline lens

American  

noun

Anatomy.

1. a doubly convex, transparent body in the eye, situated behind the iris, that focuses incident light on the retina.

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crystalline lens British  

noun

1. a biconvex transparent elastic structure in the eye situated behind the iris, serving to focus images on the retina

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Etymology

Origin of crystalline lens

First recorded in 1785–95

Example Sentences

Grayson is blind, the result of a rare genetic disorder that stunts the development of the iris and the crystalline lens covering the eye.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 28, 2025

When light enters a new transparent medium, like the crystalline lens of your eye or the glass lens of a microscope, it is bent either away or toward the line perpendicular to the boundary surface.

From Textbooks • Aug. 12, 2015

This protects the patient's crystalline lens and prevents aqueous humor from escaping when Dr. Filatov cuts out a small disk from the cornea directly over the pupil.

From Time Magazine Archive

Immediately behind the iris lies the crystalline lens, which focuses light images upon the retina.

From Time Magazine Archive

Possibly, in a greatly-prolonged decay of all the organs with age, all eyes tend to become cataractous from structural alteration of the crystalline lens.

From A System of Practical Medicine by American Authors, Vol. I Volume 1: Pathology and General Diseases by Various