Which has a higher concentration of lactate, aqueous humor or blood plasma?

The aqueous humor has a higher concentration of lactate compared to blood plasma due to several physiological processes that occur in the eye. The production of aqueous humor takes place in the ciliary processes, where metabolic activity is high. The cells within the ciliary body convert glucose to lactate through anaerobic metabolism, especially because of the limited oxygen supply in the anterior chamber of the eye.

Lactate serves as an energy source for the cornea and other anterior segment structures. Since the aqueous humor is formed and secreted directly from the ciliary body, it naturally holds a higher concentration of lactate that reflects the metabolic activity occurring within the eye as opposed to what is found in blood plasma, where lactate levels are influenced by systemic factors and are generally lower due to its dilution in the larger volume of blood.

This difference highlights the unique metabolic environment of the eye, emphasizing the importance of lactate as part of the energy metabolism in ocular tissues. The physiological context supports the conclusion that the concentration of lactate is indeed elevated in the aqueous humor compared to blood plasma.