Table Of ContentBasic Sciences in Ophthalmology
Josef Flammer (cid:129) M aneli Mozaffarieh
Hans Bebie
Basic Sciences
in Ophthalmology
Physics and Chemistry
Josef Flammer, M.D. Hans Bebie, Ph.D.
Department of Ophthalmology Institute for Theoretical Physics
University of Basel University of Bern
Basel Bern
Switzerland Switzerland
Maneli Mozaffarieh, M.D.
Department of Ophthalmology
University of Basel
Basel
Switzerland
ISBN 978-3-642-32260-0 ISBN 978-3-642-32261-7 (eBook)
DOI 10.1007/978-3-642-32261-7
Springer Heidelberg New York Dordrecht London
Library of Congress Control Number: 2012951641
© Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2013
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Preface
Ophthalmology training is more than just memorizing pieces of information.
Particularly important is a comprehensive understanding of the scienti fi c
background. This book on “Physics and Chemistry of the Eye” describes the
coherence of ophthalmology with physics and chemistry. It is the ambition to
provide a better understanding of clinical observations and the way how we
treat patients.
Such a physical and chemical background is only conditionally a prereq-
uisite for practising ophthalmology. However, it helps clinicians interpreting
phenomena, gives researcher more independency, and increases enthusiasm
of curious scientists.
This book is simply an introduction and is not meant to be complete by
any means. The mentioned clinical pictures serve merely as examples. For
more comprehensive descriptions, please refer to corresponding textbooks.
This fi rst edition may contain weaknesses and mistakes. We encourage
readers to give us feedback in order to improve future editions.
For us, writing this book was not just work but also satisfaction. We admire
the beauty of the eye and are fascinated the way it functions and are particu-
larly impressed about the interrelations between basic science and medicine.
While writing the book, we realized in what sophisticated way fundamental
laws of nature enabled the emergence of life.
We hope that some sparks of our enthusiasm may jump to the reader and
that this book contributes to the appreciation of ophthalmology both for the
bene fi t of patients and physicians.
For further information and contact: w ww.glaucomaresearch.ch
Josef Flammer, M.D.
Maneli Mozaffarieh, M.D.
Hans Bebie, Ph.D.
v
Authors
Josef Flammer , M.D., Professor and Head,
Department of Ophthalmology, University
of Basel, Switzerland. Special interests: glaucoma,
perimetry, pharmacology, microcirculation
and molecular biology.
Maneli Mozaffarieh , M.D., Glaucoma Fellow,
Department of Ophthalmology, University
of Basel, Switzerland. Special interests: glaucoma.
Hans Bebie, Ph.D., Professor Emeritus for
Theoretical Physics, University of Bern,
Switzerland. Special interests: optics, science
of vision.
vii
Acknowledgments
Project manager:
Daniela Hauenstein
Illustrations:
Natasa Cmiljanovic
Rebekka Heeb
Peter Räber
Proofreading and further support:
Vladimir Cmiljanovic
Arthur T. Funkhouser
Katarzyna Konieczka
Nina Müller
Albert Neutzner
Annick Toggenburger
Gertrud Thommen
Additional contributions:
Martina Anderson, Michael Baertschi, Ralf Beuschel, Tatjana Binggeli, Anna
Cybulska-Heinrich, Barbara Dubler, Alex Eberle, Arne Fischmann, David
Goldblum, Matthias Grieshaber, Farhad Hafezi, Jörg Hagmann, Pascal Hasler,
Tatjana Josifova, Simone Koch, Jürg Messerli, Peter Meyer, Ursula Müller,
Anna Polunina, Ulrike Schneider, Eberhard Spoerl, Margarita Todorova,
Birgit Vorgrimler
Other colleagues who kindly provided us with illustrations are acknowl-
edged in the fi gure legends (Courtesy of).
ix
