Which layer of the cornea prevents swelling by pumping aqueous fluid and is not capable of reproducing?

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Keeping the cornea clear requires deturgescence, which is achieved by the inner pumping layer that actively removes water from the stroma into the anterior chamber. This pumping layer, the endothelium, uses ion pumps to move fluid out of the stroma, preventing swelling and maintaining transparency. In adults, these endothelial cells don’t readily divide to replace lost cells, so damage can lead to edema because the inner surface can’t quickly regenerate a full, functional layer. The epithelium mainly serves as a protective, healing surface, the stroma is the thick, water-rich tissue that would swell if hydration isn’t controlled, and Descemet’s membrane is a basement membrane produced by the endothelium, not the pumping layer. So the layer that prevents swelling by pumping fluid and has limited regenerative capacity is the endothelium.