Macular Degeneration Disease Glossary
Navigating a diagnosis of an age-related disease can be overwhelming, especially with all the new medical terms involved. Whether you're preparing for a doctor’s visit or simply want to better understand a macular degeneration diagnosis, this glossary serves as a quick reference to help you define and understand commonly used terms.
Retinal pigmented epithelium
A layer of cells that protects and nourishes the retina, removes waste products, prevents new blood vessel growth into the retinal layer, and absorbs light not absorbed by the photoreceptor cells; these actions prevent the scattering of the light and enhance clarity of vision.
Rods
Photoreceptor nerve cells in the eyes that are sensitive to low light levels and are present in the retina, but outside the macula
Sclera
The tough outer coat that protects the entire eyeball.
Trabecular meshwork
Spongy tissue located near the cornea through which aqueous humor flows out of the eye and important for maintaining eye pressure.
Vitreous
Clear jelly-like substance that fills the eye from the lens to the back of the eye.
Wet age-related macular degeneration
An advanced form of macular degeneration in which abnormal blood vessels grow into the macula, causing leakage of blood from the vessels leading to central vision loss.