Overview
- Direct physiological measurements showed the inner layers of bird retinas receive no oxygen under normal conditions.
- Spatial transcriptomics mapped strong expression of anaerobic glycolysis genes specifically in the oxygen-deprived inner retina.
- Metabolic imaging found retinal glucose uptake far higher than in the brain, with the pecten transporting glucose into the retina and clearing lactate waste.
- The findings overturn the long-held belief that the pecten supplies oxygen and support the view that avascular retinas sharpen vision by removing light-scattering vessels.
- The peer-reviewed paper was published in Nature on January 21, 2026 by an Aarhus-led team, which notes potential insights for protecting human tissue during stroke.