Eye Floaters Explained by Robert Sapolsky
Time: 00:28:32 Question 2 (Eye floaters) at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ib2QbIfx7k Summary: Robert Sapolsky explains that many common beliefs about eye floaters are misconceptions. Although floaters appear to be tiny particles drifting across our vision, they are not bits of cellular debris, they are not on the surface of the eye, and we are not directly seeing them. Instead, floaters are shadows cast by structures inside the eye. The inside of the eye is filled with a clear, gel-like substance called the vitreous humor, which contains a microscopic three-dimensional framework of collagen fibers. As people age, the gel gradually shrinks and changes, causing collagen fibers to move closer together and stick to one another. These collagen aggregates become large enough to cast shadows onto the retina, creating the appearance of floating specks or threads. The apparent movement of floaters is also misleading. The collagen itself is embedded within the vitr...