Abstract

The cornea plays important rolesin the eye, since it maintains the ocular pressure, bears up differentaggressions and forces and it constitutes the primary lens in many animals?eyes. In order to fulfill these extremely crucial functions, the cornea requiressophisticated structures called epithelium, Bowman?s membrane, stroma,Descement?s layer and endothelium. The complexity of this tissue is such thatdespite many efforts, it has not been possible to obtain clinically viablecorneas in the lab yet. Vitamin C orL-ascorbic acid is an essential vitamin and a water-soluble important nutrient,which many animals chemically synthesize from the glucose by means of enzymaticreactions, being the L-gulono γ- lactone oxidase the last enzyme. Among the multiple roles played bythis vitamin, its primary functions are to act as a co-factor for reactions requiring a reducediron or copper metalloenzyme and as a protective antioxidant that operates inthe aqueous phases, both intra and extra-cellularly. Oculartissues, particularly the cornea, concentrate vitamin C, which might suggestthat the different structures of the cornea need this vitamin to fulfill theirroles. In this chapter we present scientific evidences of ascorbicacid critical roles in maintaining the functionsand ultra-structures of the corneal epithelium, the stroma and the endothelium.