Eye development and the appearance and maintenance of corneal transparency

Embryonic development of the eye, including the cornea, depends on the appearance and steady maintenance of intraocular pressure. The eye is a gravity-sensitive organ, as evidence by changes in pupil diameter during parabolic flight. The cornea is largely a paracrystal of extracellular matrix. The extent to which it will polymerize normally in microgravity has yet to be determined.