Main Entry: space of Fon·tana

Pronunciation: \-ˌfän-ˈtän-ə\

Function: noun

: any of the spaces between trabeculae of Descemet's membrane through which the anterior chamber of the eye communicates with the canal of Schlemm

Fon·ta·na \ˌfōn-ˈtä-nä\ Felice (1730–1805), Italian neurologist and physiologist. Fontana lectured in physics at the University of Pisa, Italy. He is remembered for developing a museum of natural history in Florence that was known for its collection of wax models of anatomical parts. In 1765 he published his observations on the movements of the iris. He observed that the reflex response to light in the pupil of one eye occurs also in the other eye, even if the latter is not exposed to light. In this study he described the spaces between the fibers of the posterior elastic lamina of the cornea which serve as passages between the canal of Schlemm and the anterior chamber of the eye; these spaces are now known as the spaces of Fontana.