ABSTRACT
The existence of the macula lutea, or “yellow spot,” in the human retina has been
known since the end of the 18th century (1). The nature and identity of macular
pigment carotenoids is now well established (2-8). It was recognized very early
that the macula lutea filtered the light entering the eye prior to perception and
thereby affected color matching (9). Walls suggested in the 1930s that the
macular pigment might be responsible for reduction of chromatic aberration and
improved visual acuity (10,11). In the early 1980s, it was postulated that the
macular pigment might protect the structures of the retina lying posterior to itself
by absorbing excess blue light (1,12). Our developing understanding of the
etiologic development of age-related macular degeneration is further illuminating
the significant role of the macular carotenoids in ocular health (13). The presence
of carotenoids in lens and other ocular tissues is now also recognized (14).
Whether it will be possible to establish a functional relationship between the
presence of these carotenoids and maintenance of the health of the eye presents
an unfinished challenge. This chapter will focus on carotenoids of the retina and
lens where an evolving body of epidemiological data supports the premise that
they play a role in maintaining ocular health (see Chapter 19).
