Overview.- Vertebrate Eye Development and Refractive Function: An Overview.- 1 Introduction and General Eye Development.- 1.1 Early Embryogenesis.- 1.2 Formation of the Optic Cup.- 1.3 Lens Development.- 1.4 Mesenchyme.- 1.5 Development of the Sclera, Choroid, Ciliary Body, and Iris.- 1.6 Retina.- 1.7 Corneal Development.- 2 Eye Development and Optical Function.- 2.1 Cornea.- 2.2 Lens.- 3 Visual Environment and Eye Development.- References.- Early Pattern Formation.- Pax6 and the Genetic Control of Early Eye Development.- 1 Introduction.- 2 Pax6 Plays a Critical Role in Vertebrate Ocular Development.- 3 Molecular Biology of the Pax6 Gene Product.- 4 Genomic Structure and Transcriptional Regulation of Pax6.- 5 Pax6 in Drosophila: Master Regulator or Network Manager?.- 6 From Fly to Mouse: Identifying Pax6 Target Genes.- 7 Conclusions.- References.- Early Retinal Development in Drosophila.- 1 Introduction.- 2 Specification of the Eye Primordium.- 3 Dorsal-Ventral Patterning and Growth of the Eye Disc.- 4 Initiation of Differentiation.- 5 How are Specification and Initiation Related?.- 6 Progression of Differentiation.- References.- Embryonic Induction.- Induction of the Lens.- 1 Introduction.- 2 A Historical Overview of the Study of Lens Induction.- 3 Competence.- 4 Bias.- 5 Inhibition.- 6 Specification.- 7 Differentiation.- 8 Conclusions.- References.- Retinal Differentiation.- Molecular Control of Cell Diversification in the Vertebrate Retina.- 1 Introduction.- 2 Does a Code of Transcription Factors Define Retinal Cell Identities?.- 2.1 Homeodomain Transcription Factors.- 2.2 bHLH Transcription Factors.- 3 Do Extracellular Signals Define Retinal Identities?.- 3.1 Ganglion Cells.- 3.2 Horizontal Cells.- 3.3 Amacrine Cells.- 3.4 Photoreceptor Cells.- 3.5 Bipolar Cells.- 3.6 Müller Glia.- 4 Conclusion.- References.- Cell Fate Specification in the Drosophila Retina.- 1 Introduction.- 2 The R8 Photoreceptor Cell.- 3 The R7 Photoreceptor Cell.- 4 Concluding Remarks.- References.- Roles of the Extracellular Matrix in Retinal Development and Maintenance.- 1 Introduction.- 2 Multiple Extrinsic Cues are Involved in Retinal Development.- 3 Laminins.- 3.1 Photoreceptor Development.- 4 Laminins and Photoreceptor Development.- 4.1 Photoreceptor Fate Determination.- 4.2 Photoreceptor Morphogenesis: Inner and Outer Segment Development.- 4.3 Photoreceptor Synaptogenesis.- 5 Role of the Interphotoreceptor Matrix in Maintaining Photoreceptor Viability.- 5.1 Retinal Adhesion.- 5.2 Photoreceptor Survival.- 6 Conclusion.- References.- Adhesive Events in Retinal Development and Function: The Role of Integrin Receptors.- 1 Introduction.- 1.1 The Integrin Family of Receptors.- 2 Integrins in the Developing Retina.- 2.1 Which Integrins are Expressed?.- 2.2 When and Where are Integrins Expressed?.- 2.3 What Functions Do Integrins Fulfill?.- 3 Integrins in the Mature Retina.- 4 Future Directions.- References.- Formation of Neural Pathways for Vision.- Connecting the Eye with the Brain: The Formation of the Retinotectal Pathway.- 1 Introduction.- 2 The Retinotectal Pathway.- 2.1 Navigation of the Optic Nerve Head.- 2.2 Exiting the Eye at the Optic Nerve Head.- 2.3 Fiber Organization in the Optic Nerve.- 2.4 Crossing at the Optic Chiasm.- 2.5 Climbing the Optic Tract Toward the Tectum.- 2.6 Target Recognition.- 2.7 Finding the Proper Tectal Target — Topographic Mapping.- 2.8 Preventing Retinal Axon Escape.- 3 Conclusion.- References.- Regeneration.- Regeneration of the Lens in Amphibians.- 1 Phylogeny.- 2 Histological and Cellular Events.- 3 Molecular Biology and Gene Regulation.- 3.1 Expression and Role of FGFs and FGFRs in Lens Regeneration.- 3.2 Regulatory Factors.- 3.2.1 Expression of Pax and Hox Genes.- 4 In Vitro Systems for Lens Regeneration.- 5 Clinical Applications.- References.- How the Neural Retina Regenerates.- 1 Neurogenesis and Neuronal Stem Cells.- 2 Regeneration of the Neural Retina in Adult Urodele Amphibians.- 2.1 The Classical Model of Retinal Regeneration.- 2.2 Molecular Mechanisms of RPE Transdifferentiation.- 3 Regeneration of the Neural Retina in Adult Teleost Fish.- 3.1 Source of the Regenerated Neurons — Stem Cells.- 3.2 Injury-Induced Gene Expression.- 3.3 Cellular and Synaptic Anatomy is Restored.- 3.4 Vision is Restored.- 4 A Model of Retinal Injury in Fish, Amphibians and Mammals.- References.- Genetic Models.- Mouse Mutants for Eye Development.- 1. Introduction.- 2. Mutations Affecting Early Eye Development.- 2.1 Mutations Affecting the Formation of the Lens Placode.- 2.2 Mutations Affecting the Optic Cup as the Prospective Retina.- 2.3 Mutations Affecting the Optic Stalk as the Prospective Optic Nerve.- 2.4 Mutations Affecting the Lens Vesicle.- 2.5 Further Genes Important for Early Eye Development.- 3. Maturation of the Eye (1): Lens Development.- 3.1 Cataracts: Inherited Anomalies of the Lens.- 3.2 Differentiation Process in the Developing Lensthe Crystallin Connection.- 3.3 Senile Cataracts at the End of Development.- 3.4 Transgenic Mice to Study Cataract Formation.- 4 Maturation of the Eye (2): Cornea, Iris, and Ciliary Body.- 4.1 Mouse Mutants with Lens-Corneal Adhesion.- 4.2 Mutations Affecting the Anterior Eye Development.- 5 Maturation of the Eye (3): The Retina.- 5.1 Mutations Affecting the Formation of the Retina.- 5.2 Mutations Leading to the Retinal Degeneration.- 5.3 Mutations Affecting the Optic Nerve.- 6 Conclusions.- References.- Genetic Analysis of Eye Development in Zebrafish.- 1 Introduction.- 2 Genetic Screens in Zebrafish.- 3 Currently Available Eye Mutants.- 3.1 Specification of Eye Field and Optic Cup Morphogenesis.- 3.2 Growth of the Eye.- 3.3 Specification and Differentiation of Distinct Cell Populations.- 3.4 Patterning of Cell Populations.- 3.5 Cellular Survival.- 3.6 Targeting of Retinotectal Projections.- 3.7 Other Mutants.- 4 Future Prospects of Zebrafish Genetics.- References.