Australia's Science Forum

Does anyone know how to freeze eyes so they will be OK to use next year?
I have been given 30 from the local butcher and we are finished doing them for the year so I would like to keep them.
I read somwhere to put them lens side down in a saline solution but I wanted to confirm that with someone before I do it, I didn't want to waste them.
What strength saline solution would be suitable?
Estelle

Hi!
I would imagine 9% saline would be the right concentration as this is considered "normal" saline and is what is used in hospital situations.
Although saying that I would have thought freezing the eyes would cause the lens to go cloudy and isn't the lenses one of the reason they dissect eyes.
I know our HT likes them as fresh as possible so you can actually see through the lens.The lenses go cloudy the older they are.

Lorrae

Hi
we have been freezing our eyeballs for a number of years. We use fish eyes as they are cheaper and easier to get hold of (I remove them from the heads ) We have no trouble with excessively cloudy lenses, but I suppose it depends on what the students are doing with the lenses.
Ours only really look at them.
Diana

Hi,
Normal saline is 0.9% and I've successfully frozen eyes in this solution (mind you, having read all about freezers going off during the hols.......).
LIZ

Woops !!
I knew the Normal Saline was 0.9%!!
Sorry!!

Lorrae

A 0.9% saline solution does work, you just need to make sure the eyes are fully immersed.

Pat