The medical term for absence of the crystalline lens is?

• A. Aphakia
• B. Ametropia
• C. Amblyopia
• D. Presbyopia

Answer: (A)

Absence of the crystalline lens is aphakia. The lens normally helps focus light onto the retina, so when it’s missing the eye loses much of its refractive power, often resulting in very strong farsightedness and blurred vision. This condition most commonly occurs after removal of the cataractous lens or can be congenital if the lens didn’t form. If an artificial lens is implanted, the eye is described as pseudophakic, not aphakic.

Ametropia is a general term for any refractive error (myopia, hyperopia, or astigmatism), not specifically the absence of the lens. Amblyopia refers to decreased vision from abnormal visual development, not from the eye’s anatomy. Presbyopia is age-related loss of near focus due to reduced accommodation.