Nucleation and growth of spherical droplets in cytoplasm of eye lens

Phase separation in cytoplasm of bovine eye lens was investigated by means of static light scattering. In the cytoplasm nucleation and growth of spher ical droplets was observed. To determine the size of the droplets the scatt ered light intensity residuals were compared with residuals of the form fac tor for optically homogeneous spheres. Intensity oscillations responsible f or the growth of the size of the droplets were analyzed. In the temperature s range from 30 to 25 degrees C a constant droplet radius similar to 1.5 mu m was determined. For temperatures below 25 degrees C the radius suddenly increased and at temperatures from 10 to 7 degrees C reached a constant val ue similar to 3.2 mu m. The size of protein aggregates in the lens was eval uated with the use of random density fluctuation theory. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.