RESEARCH ARTICLE
Ocular Surface as Barrier of Innate Immunity
Rodrigo Bolaños-Jiménez*, 1, 2, Alejandro Navas1, 3, Erika Paulina López-Lizárraga 3, Francesc March de Ribot 4, Alexandra Peña 2, Enrique O Graue-Hernández 1, 3, Yonathan Garfias 1, 5
Article Information
Identifiers and Pagination:
Year: 2015Volume: 9
First Page: 49
Last Page: 55
Publisher ID: TOOPHTJ-9-49
DOI: 10.2174/1874364101509010049
Article History:
Received Date: 18/11/2014Revision Received Date: 6/4/2015
Acceptance Date: 13/4/2015
Electronic publication date: 15/5/2015
Collection year: 2015

open-access license: This is an open access article licensed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/) which permits unrestricted, non-commercial use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the work is properly cited.
Abstract
Sight is one of the most important senses that human beings possess. The ocular system is a complex structure equipped with mechanisms that prevent or limit damage caused by physical, chemical, infectious and environmental factors. These mechanisms include a series of anatomical, cellular and humoral factors that have been a matter of study. The cornea is not only the most powerful and important lens of the optical system, but also, it has been involved in many other physiological and pathological processes apart from its refractive nature; the morphological and histological properties of the cornea have been thoroughly studied for the last fifty years; drawing attention in its molecular characteristics of immune response. This paper will review the anatomical and physiological aspects of the cornea, conjunctiva and lacrimal apparatus, as well as the innate immunity at the ocular surface.