| Summary: | The lens is responsible for focusing light into the retina. It accomplishes this through its maturation from an epithelial cell into a fiber cell. A large amount of research has been done on cellular differentiation. Nevertheless, we still lack knowledge on many different aspects of differentiation, including a complete theory on the mechanism behind differentiation. Due to the lens’ unique structure and cell types, this is an ideal model for studying differentiation. Our research has shown that αB crystallin, a small heat shock protein, is able to modulate cytochrome C levels and protect the mitochondria under oxidative stress. Also, cytochrome C release is often followed by caspase 3 activation. In addition, research has shown that low levels of caspase 3 activation is essential in driving differentiation. My work examined if αB crystallin could modulate cytochrome C to lower caspase 3 levels to allow for differentiation rather than apoptosis. === Includes bibliography. === Thesis (M.S.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2019. === FAU Electronic Theses and Dissertations Collection
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