Question: How do the cells in an eye change and develop when an artificial eye is put into its place, and what happens to the residual cells which are left from the eye that were there previously? Thanks

Stephen Moss answered on 13 Mar 2011:

Usually there are no residual cells left when an artificial eye is put into place. The patient would have their entire diseaseed eye removed, and a new glass eye is put in the socket. However, some scientists are now working on an artificial retina, which is the part of eye where the light-detecting cells are located and which feed information to the brain. These bionic retinas are getting better and better, and in patients that are receiving prototypes, the other cells in the eye seem to tolerate the incoming device just fine. So far, the bionic retinas have enabled people who were completely blind to at least see light and dark, and to make out simple shapes, like giant letters.