Article: Mitochondria Double as Tiny Lenses in the Eye

[Braganca]

https://www.quantamagazine.org/mitochondria-double-as-tiny-lenses-in-the-eye-20220405/
A study published last month in Science Advances found that inside mammalian eyes, mitochondria, the organelles that power cells, may serve a second role as microscopic lenses, helping to focus light on the photoreceptor pigments that convert the light into neural signals for the brain to interpret.
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During the months that the ground squirrel hibernates, its mitochondrial bundles become disorderly and compressed. When the researchers simulated what happens when light passes through the mitochondrial bundle of a hibernating ground squirrel, they found that it did not concentrate the light nearly as well as when it was elongated and highly ordered.

 

[Tia]

Fascinating!

 

[Braganca]

This article is interesting given the vision disturbances in ME which are not measurable on neuro ophthalmology exams. Also given the “hibernation” hypothesis, and the possibility of disfunctional mitochondria. My trouble focusing my vision, along with photosensitivity is really debilitating and yet extensive tests and eye exams show my vision to be perfect.

 

[rvallee]

It's frustrating that no one has ever checked what the damn floaters in our eyes are. Looking at my own, it's possible that they could be mitochondria, they certainly look like it.

Super common with LC and they do not fit the description eye floaters typically have. Those are supposed to be rare, mine can range from dozens to easily hundreds, I see them floating (edit: when I move my eyes, they don't move by themselves).

Maybe unrelated, but how the hell are we supposed to figure stuff out when no one actually does the damn research?! So many questions unanswered because researchers simply can't imagine them, they have no way of knowing unless they work with patients.

 

[Braganca]

It's frustrating that no one has ever checked what the damn floaters in our eyes are. Looking at my own, it's possible that they could be mitochondria, they certainly look like it.

Super common with LC and they do not fit the description eye floaters typically have. Those are supposed to be rare, mine can range from dozens to easily hundreds, I see them moving.

Maybe unrelated, but how the hell are we supposed to figure stuff out when no one actually does the damn research?! So many questions unanswered because researchers simply can't imagine them, they have no way of knowing unless they work with patients.

I have always felt like my whole body, incl brain and eyes are operating at about half capacity, not functioning properly bc of lack of energy. Much like I should be hibernating, although my body still consumes same amount of food and uses it, based on my food intake not being suppressed and I haven’t gained weight.

But it’s interesting that patients report varied vision symptoms, like your floaters, or none at all. My vision is so messed up it’s hard for me to understand how for others with ME, it’s fine.

I emailed the authors and copied Avi Nath.. would love if they connected on this.

 

[Creekside]

It's frustrating that no one has ever checked what the damn floaters in our eyes are.

From Google: "Floaters are broken-up bits of dead cells that stay in the vitreous humor in the back of the eye."

I have loads of floaters, and have had them since I was young. I'm terrible at noticing things because my floaters have trained me to ignore 'little moving things'.

 

[rvallee]

Unless those broken bits all coincidentally happened to have taken the same stringy shapes, this definitely ain't it. Bits that break off do not break off looking like this. Lumpy shapes, not knotty-stringy shapes. Plus they clearly don't follow the same script of a few your vision will ignore but stay forever. As I said in my case, it varies from dozens to many hundreds. It changes all the time.

I don't know what they are, but this is clearly different. And never been studied. Widely reported in LC. Never studied. That how you solve complex problems the shmart way: you can't fail if you don't try, because failing is what's been decided.