An elderly man jokes that his arms have gotten too short to be able to read the morning newspaper without his glasses. In reality, his vision problem is most likely due to

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The elderly man's difficulty in reading the newspaper without glasses is likely due to presbyopia, a condition where the lens of the eye loses its ability to change shape (thicken) to focus on close objects, a process necessary for reading. This condition is common with aging.  As people age, the lens becomes more amber tinted, opaque, and flattened, and it loses its elasticity. When this happens, the lens loses its ability to thicken enough for near vision. The near point, the closest point at which people can focus clearly, gets progressively farther away.

An Elderly Man Jokes That His Arms Have Gotten Too