You're a Famous Eye Surgeon, Specializing in Corneal Transplants

question 74

Multiple Choice

You're a famous eye surgeon, specializing in corneal transplants. Given your choice, would you rather use a cornea from a 20-year old person, or one from a 60-year old person (assuming there are no optical defects due to age) for transplantation, and why?

• A) The 60-year old cornea. If the person has gone 60 years with no optical defects, this is a very good organ for transplantation. The 20-year old cornea may have defects that simply haven't become apparent yet.
• B) The 20-year old cornea. Younger is always better when dealing with tissue transplants. You want to give the transplant the longest possible time for survival in the recipient.
• C) The 20-year old cornea. While extremely rare, it may be possible to transmit prions through corneal transplants. It's less likely that a younger cornea would have become contaminated by prions than the older cornea.
• D) The 20-year old cornea. There are a variety of agents that can hide in corneal tissues and that might cause disease. It's far more likely that the older cornea would be harboring one or more of these pathogens than the younger cornea.
• E) The 20-year old cornea. The recipient of the cornea is much less likely to reject the younger tissue, which will have fewer antigens on it. The older cornea is more likely to be rejected by the recipient.

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Definitions:

Alpha Wave Pattern

A pattern of brain wave activity that symbolizes a state of wakeful rest, typically associated with relaxed and calm wakefulness.

Hypnagogic Sensation

Experiences or sensations, such as seeing or hearing things, that occur during the transition from wakefulness to sleep.

Consciousness

The state of being aware of and able to think and respond to one's surroundings and experiences.

Physical Coordination

The ability to move different parts of the body smoothly and efficiently together.