A simple view of age-related changes in the shape of the lens of the human eye.

Data describing the radius of curvature of the anterior surface of the human lens have been re-examined for (i) far-accommodated lenses and (ii) near-accommodated or excised lenses. It is found that, with increasing age, the curvatures converge to an intermediate value. Taking this together with the body of work on the mechanics of accommodative lens changes, a perspective is suggested which affords a simple view of curvature changes with age. The only datum in the literature is found to fit reasonably well with this perspective.