Now in our 13th year of bringing you beautiful imagery from biomedical science every day

Search the archive of over 4000 images

Tiny Vessels
30 November 2015

Tiny Vessels

Like all organs, our eyes rely on a complex network of blood vessels in order to function properly. Vessels supply blood to the retina, a thin layer of cells in the eye (shown here as pink, blue and red layers) that convert the light we see into electrical signals. If these tiny vessels develop badly, they can block the retina’s cells and cause vision loss. Scientists are studying a type of protein whose job is to keep a close eye on these vessels, and prevent them from growing awry. The team found that abnormal blood vessels were more likely to develop in mice that don’t have this protein in their retinal cells. Regions in their retina where this protein was missing are shown in bright green. This research helps us understand how specific proteins in the eye are there as a safeguard against vascular disease and ultimately, blindness.

Written by Gaëlle Coullon

Search The Archive

Submit An Image

Follow on Tumblr

Follow on Instagram

What is BPoD?

BPoD stands for Biomedical Picture of the Day. Managed by the MRC Laboratory of Medical Sciences until Jul 2023, it is now run independently by a dedicated team of scientists and writers. The website aims to engage everyone, young and old, in the wonders of biology, and its influence on medicine. The ever-growing archive of more than 4000 research images documents over a decade of progress. Explore the collection and see what you discover. Images are kindly provided for inclusion on this website through the generosity of scientists across the globe.

Read More

BPoD is also available in Catalan at www.bpod.cat with translations by the University of Valencia.