Athabasca University (AU) Professor Emeritus in Biology Robert Holmberg will be presenting for Science Outreach – Athabasca with an insightful look into the human eye.
His wellness presentation, “The Eyes Have It: A look at Human Vision,” is slated for Oct. 3 in AU Governing Council Chambers at 7 p.m.
Holmberg himself has a dry form of macular degeneration (the degradation of the finer points of vision in the eye) and has a vested interest in the human eye, the organ’s anatomy and function, and ways to take care of what he says is one of the greatest collectors of information for the human brain.
“You want to keep your cholesterol down because you want to keep the blood vessels open to the eyeball so that everything is working fine,” said Holmberg.
“All of the things that deal with being healthy help your eyes as well,” he said.
The presentation will take a look at near- and far-sightedness, macular degeneration, cataracts, glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy (damage to the retina that can lead to blindness), eye “floaters,” colour blindness, presbyopia (aging of the eyes) and eye protection.
“Floaters,” he said, is a condition that can lead to the appearance of spots or circles in the eye. He said collagen filaments also form fibrils that cause an appearance of lines or cobwebs in the vision of those affected.
The carotene in carrots does actually help with maintaining vision, he said.
He said oxygen radical absorption through eating broccoli and alfalfa sprouts and particularly spinach can also go a long way for long-term health of human vision.
“What I’m trying to do is get people to take care of their eyesight,” said Holmberg.
