Living optic fibres

Even our own familiar eyes have hidden surprises. In 2009, scientists found that we’re all carrying living optic fibres called Muller cells. These cells help to get round a structural problem in our eyes, where the light-sensing cells of the retina lie behind a tangled mass of nerves and blood vessels. It’s a bit like designing a camera, and sticking the wiring in front of the lens. Light gets through the mess inside the long, cylindrical Muller cells. It reflects down the cell, much like in an optic fibre, to hit the light-sensing cells on the other side. (Image by Elyzhium)