US Medical Term · anatomy
Lens (Eye)
Cristalino
In 9 languages
| Language | Term |
|---|---|
| English | Lens (Eye) |
| Spanish (Español) | Cristalino |
| Chinese (中文) | 水晶體 |
| Korean (한국어) | 수정체 |
| Vietnamese (Tiếng Việt) | Thủy tinh thể |
| Filipino (Tagalog) | Lente ng mata |
| Portuguese (Português) | Cristalino |
| Thai (ภาษาไทย) | แก้วตา |
| Japanese (日本語) | 水晶体 |
What it means
The lens of the eye is a clear, flexible, oval structure located just behind the iris and pupil. Its main job is to focus light precisely onto the retina at the back of the eye. Unlike the cornea, the lens can change shape — flattening or thickening — to focus on objects at different distances. This process is called accommodation. The lens is held in place by fine fibers attached to a ring of muscle. With age, the lens gradually becomes stiffer, making it harder to focus on near objects, a condition called presbyopia. When the lens becomes cloudy, it is called a cataract, which blurs and dims vision. Cataract surgery removes the clouded lens and replaces it with a clear artificial lens implant.
How to say it
Sentences a patient might use with a doctor, nurse, pharmacist, or insurer:
My eye doctor said the lens in my left eye has a cataract and needs to be replaced.
Mi oftalmólogo dijo que el cristalino de mi ojo izquierdo tiene una catarata y necesita ser reemplazado.
After cataract surgery, will the new lens in my eye let me see clearly without glasses?
Después de la cirugía de cataratas, ¿el nuevo cristalino me permitirá ver con claridad sin lentes?
My reading vision is getting worse — could my lens be changing with age?
Mi visión de cerca está empeorando — ¿podría estar cambiando mi cristalino con la edad?
Where you'll see it
Related terms
Sources
Last reviewed: September 2026