Who would believe that so small a space could contain the images of all the universe? Leonardo
da Vinci The last years of the 20th century have found the discipline of Developmental Biology
returning to its original position at the forefront of biological re search. This progress can
be attributed to the burgeoning knowledge base on molecules and gene families and to the power
of the molecular genetic ap proach. Topping the list of organ systems which have provided the
most significant advances would have to be the eye. The vertebrate eye was one of the classic
embryologic models used to demonstrate many important prin ciples including the concepts of
inductive tissue interactions first put forth in the early 1900s. Within the last decade of
this century a return to some of the old questions with the new approaches has put eye
development back into the limelight. I find this a highly appropriate topic for a book which
aims to spark research for the new millennium. We begin with a chapter that discusses the
anatomy of eye development providing the basic reference information for the chapters that
follow. A novel aspect of this introduction is the connection made between develop mental
strategies and the eye's optical function. What also emerges from this chapter is the number of
important eye structures that have barely been touched by the modern developmental biologist.
Work on cornea and ante rior chamber development has lagged behind lens and retina.
