vitreösa

Vitreous is a term that can refer to several different things, primarily relating to glass or glass-like substances. In the context of ophthalmology, the vitreous humor, also known as the vitreous body, is the clear gel that fills the space in the eye between the lens and the retina. This gel is composed of about 99% water and 1% collagen and hyaluronic acid. It helps maintain the shape of the eye and is crucial for clear vision. As a person ages, the vitreous humor can undergo liquefaction, leading to the formation of floaters, which are small specks or strands that appear to drift in the field of vision.

In geology and materials science, "vitreous" describes materials that are amorphous and non-crystalline, lacking a regular atomic structure. This is characteristic of glass. When molten material cools rapidly, its atoms do not have enough time to arrange themselves into an ordered crystalline lattice, resulting in a vitreous or glassy state. Obsidian, a naturally occurring volcanic glass, is a prime example of a vitreous rock. Many manufactured glasses, such as window glass and optical lenses, are also vitreous. The term can also be applied to certain minerals that have a glassy luster.