Retina Overview

The retina is the layer of cells lining the back wall inside the eye. In addition, this layer senses light and sends signals to the brain so you can see.

Specifically, the retina is the sensory membrane that lines the inner surface of the back of the eyeball. Moreover, it’s composed of several layers, including one that contains specialized cells called photoreceptors.

Indeed, there are two types of photoreceptor cells in the human eye, which are called rods and cones. For instance, rod photoreceptors detect motion, provide black-and-white vision, and function well in low light. On the other hand, cones are responsible for central vision and colored vision and perform best in medium and bright light.

Furthermore, rods are located throughout the retina; meanwhile, cones are concentrated in a small central area of the retina called the macula. Notably, at the center of the macula is a small depression known as the fovea. In fact, the fovea contains only cone photoreceptors and is the point in the retina responsible for maximum visual acuity and color vision.

Function of the Retina

Photoreceptor cells take light focused by the cornea and lens and convert it into chemical and nervous signals, which, consequently, are transported to visual centers in the brain by way of the optic nerve.

Moreover, in the visual cortex of the brain, which is located in the back of the brain, Furthermore, these signals are converted into images and visual perceptions.

Problems of the Retina

There is a wide variety of retina problems, conditions and diseases. Here is a short list of the more common retina problems:

Macular Degeneration

First, Macular Degeneration: Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the most common serious, age-related eye disease, affecting 9.1 million Americans. And the prevalence of AMD, which affects one in 14 Americans over age 40 and more than 30 percent of seniors over age 75. As the U.S. population continues to age. According to statistics, one-third of males and one-quarter of females over 75 have some form of AMD.

Diabetic Retinopathy

Second, Diabetic Retinopathy: One of the devastating consequences of diabetes is damage to the blood vessels that supply and nourish the retina, leading to significant vision loss.

Macular Edema

Third, Macular Edema: This is an accumulation of fluid and swelling of the macula, causing distortion and blurred central vision. Macular edema has several causes, including diabetes. In some cases, swelling of the macula can occur after cataract surgery.

Central Serous Retinopathy

Moreover, Central Serous Retinopathy: This is when fluid builds up under the central retina, causing distorted vision. Though the cause of central serous retinopathy (CSR) often is unknown. However, it tends to affect men in their 30s to 50s more frequently than women, and stress appears to be a major risk factor.

Hypersensitive Retinopathy

Furthermore, Hypertensive Retinopathy: Chronic high blood pressure can damage the tiny blood vessels that nourish the retina, leading to significant vision problems. Risk factors for hypertensive retinopathy are the same as those for high blood pressure, including obesity, lack of physical activity, eating too much salt, a family history of hypertension and a stressful lifestyle.

Solar Retinopathy

In addition, Solar Retinopathy: This is damage to the macula from staring at the sun, which can cause a permanent blind spot (scotoma) in your visual field. The risk of solar retinopathy which is also known as solar maculopathy, is greatest when viewing a solar eclipse without adequate eye protection.

Detached Retina

Finally, Detached Retina: A retinal detachment or a pulling away of the retina from the underlying choroid layer of the eye that provides its nourishment, is a medical emergency. If the retina is not surgically reattached as soon as possible, permanent and worsening vision loss can occur.

Biospecimens

biospecimens

Bay Biosciences is a global leader in providing researchers with high quality, clinical grade, fully characterized human tissue samples, bio-specimens, and human bio-fluid collections.

Moreover, human biospecimens are available including tumor tissue, serum, plasma and PBMC samples from most other therapeutic areas.

Furthermore, Bay Biosciences maintains and manages its own biorepository, the human tissue bank (biobank) consisting of thousands of diseased samples (specimens) and likewise normal healthy donors for controls. Additionally, available in all formats and types.

In fact, our biobank procures and stores fully consented, de-identified and institutional review boards (IRB) approved human tissue samples, human biofluids such as serum samples, plasma samples from various diseases and matched controls.

Also, all our human tissue collections, human biospecimens and human biofluids are provided with detailed, samples associated patient’s clinical data.

In fact, this critical patient’s clinical data includes information relating to their past and current disease, treatment history, lifestyle choices, biomarkers, and genetic information.

Additionally, researchers find the patient’s data associated with the human biospecimens extremely valuable and use it to help identify new effective treatments (drug discovery & development) in oncology, as well as in other therapeutic areas and diseases.

Bay Biosciences banks wide variety of human tissue samples and human biological samples, including fresh frozen human biospecimens cryogenically preserved at – 80°C.

For example fresh frozen tissue samples, tumor tissue samples, formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE), tissue slides, with matching human bio-fluids, whole blood and blood-derived products such as human serum, human plasma and human PBMCs.

Bay Biosciences is a global leader in collecting and providing human tissue samples according to the specified requirements and customized, tailor-made collection protocols.

Please contact us anytime to discuss your special research projects and customized human tissue sample requirements.

Types of Biospecimens

Bay Biosciences provides human tissue samples (human specimens) and human biofluids from diseased and normal healthy donors which includes:

Moreover, we can also procure most human biospecimens and human biofluids, special collections and requests for human samples that are difficult to find. All our human tissue samples and human biofluids are procured through IRB-approved clinical protocols and procedures.

In addition to the standard processing protocols, Bay Biosciences can also provide human biofluids such as  human plasma, human serum, and human PBMCs bio-fluid samples using custom processing protocols; you buy donor-specific collections in higher volumes and specified sample aliquots from us.

Bay Biosciences also provides human biospecimens from normal healthy donors; volunteers, for controls and clinical research, Contact us Now.