Science Friday What Greenland Sharks Are Teaching Us About Aging Eyes
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Jan 15, 2026 Dorota Skowronska-Krawczyk, a molecular biologist, unpacks the remarkable aging properties of Greenland sharks, revealing their surprisingly functional eyes despite centuries of life. She shares insights on DNA repair and how boosting gene expression may hold the key to preserving human vision. Meanwhile, Macarena Garcia Marin, a project scientist for the James Webb Space Telescope, clarifies the precision of its mirror compared to a baseball, and discusses how technology used in JWST mirrors is now benefiting medical diagnostics.
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Shark Eyeballs Came From Film Observations
- Dorota Skowronska-Krawczyk noticed Greenland sharks following swimmers in footage and suspected they could see despite glazed eyes.
- She contacted the original researchers and obtained frozen shark eyeballs for direct study.
Eyes Built For Dim, Deep Waters
- Greenland shark eyes are large, thick-walled, and adapted for low-light detection rather than high-resolution vision.
- The anatomy suggests they detect shapes and light passage but are protected for deep-sea pressure.
Centuries-Old Eyes Show Minimal Degeneration
- Despite extreme longevity, Greenland shark retinas showed no obvious deposits or degeneration seen in aging human eyes.
- Their eye tissue remained organized and seemingly functional after centuries of life.