question about cataracts (1 Viewer)

[Tim035]

Hey just a quick question, which people are most likely to suffer from cataracts and why?
I know which people are more likely to suffer from them such as older people, People exposed to long periods of UV light, diabetics, steroid users etc etc but im having trouble explaining the why part of the question.

 

[pemby]

the reason that we get cataracts is that proteins in the eyes start to clump together and start to cloud a small area of the lens and over time the clump may grow larger and make it hard to see.

 

[tenfour]

The lens become clouded as enzymes in the eye do not function properly due to old age or mutation from UV radiation

 

[georgechah1]

why u ask...
ALL CATARTS INVOLVE THE CLUMPING OF OXIDESED PROTEINS(CRYTALLINS) IN THE LENS.

CAUSES
1)Insufficent nutritients in the lens fibres due the increased density of the fibres. The folded protiens(crystallin) that make up the lens then become oxidised. They clump together forming the cloudiness or thickening. right. thers age related cataracts which happnes because oxidising chemicals enter the lens as the lens ages and when the proteins in teh lens become oxidised they clump together this causes cataracts.get it.
2)Radiation induces cataracts caused from indecent and long exposer of ultraviolet light and insuficent antioxidents in the diet. again this causes the protiens to get oxidised resulting in cataracts.
3)Infectious catarats is obviously caused by a pathogen i.e. rubellavirus can casue cataracts in the fetus if the disease is contractes by a pregnant women.

 

[Dunnybrush]

Where are you guys getting this information?

Last time i saw (just now doing an assessment) scientists couldn't didn't know why people got cataracts... They know what happens when cataracts occur (protein clumping) but they don't know why that occurs...
So far they only make assumptions as to what causes it i.e. Age, exposure to UV light e.t.c
But they haven't flat out given a reason for what causes the protein clumping