Yuodelis C, Hendrickson A
Vision Res. 1986;26(6):847-55. doi: 10.1016/0042-6989(86)90143-4.
The anatomical development of the human fovea has been sampled from 22 weeks gestation to adulthood, using both qualitative and quantitative methods. The foveal depression continues to deepen after birth until 15 months, due to the migration of the cells of the inner retina toward the periphery. Before birth the rod-free zone or foveola is over 1000 microns in diameter, but it becomes progressively narrower after birth because of a centralward migration of cones. It reaches the adult diameter of 650-700 microns by 45 months of age. Postnatally, foveolar cone development is characterized by maturation, elongation, and an increase in packing density. Foveolar cone diameter changes markedly after birth, going from 7.5 microns at 5 days postnatal to 2 microns by 45 months. During this time the foveolar cone develops both its outer segment and basal axon process (fiber of Henle). This combination of elongation and centralward migration results in an increase of foveolar cone density from 18 cones/100 microns at 1 week postnatal to 42 cones/100 microns in the adult. Measures of foveola width and cone diameter reach the adult stage of development at 45 months of age, but the two important visual factors of outer segment length and cone packing density still are only half the adult values at 45 months of age.
利用定性和定量方法，对人中央凹从妊娠22周直至成年期的解剖学发育进行了取样研究。出生后，由于视网膜内层细胞向周边迁移，中央凹凹陷会持续加深，直至15个月大。出生前，无杆区或小凹直径超过1000微米，但出生后由于视锥细胞向中央迁移，其直径逐渐变窄。到45个月大时，它达到成人的直径650 - 700微米。出生后，小凹视锥细胞的发育特点是成熟、伸长以及堆积密度增加。出生后小凹视锥细胞直径变化显著，从出生后5天的7.5微米变为45个月时的2微米。在此期间，小凹视锥细胞发育出其外节和基底轴突（亨勒纤维）。这种伸长和向中央迁移的结合导致小凹视锥细胞密度从出生后1周时的18个视锥细胞/100微米增加到成人时的42个视锥细胞/100微米。小凹宽度和视锥细胞直径的测量在45个月大时达到成人发育阶段，但外节长度和视锥细胞堆积密度这两个重要视觉因素在45个月大时仍仅为成人值的一半。
