Eye Function

ciliary muscle

adjusts the shape of the lenses in order to focus the eyes.

optic nerve

A bundle of nerve fibers that connect the retina with the brain. it carries signals of light, dark, and colors to the area of the brain (the visual cortex), which assembles the signals into images (for example, our vision).

vitreous body

A clear, jelly-like substance that fills the back part of the eye.

pupil

Adjustable opening in the center of the eye through which light enters

macula

An irregularly oval, yellow-pigmented area on the central retina, containing color-sensitive rods and the central point of sharpest vision.

fovea

Center of the macula. This tiny area is responsible for our central, sharpest vision.

conjunctiva

It is the thin, transparent tissue that covers the outer surface of the eye. It begins at the outer edge of the cornea, covering the visible part of the sclera, and lines the inside of the eyelids.

cornea

It's a clear film over the bulging part of your eye; only covers the iris. It is a thin membrane that has an index of refraction of approximately 1.38. It has the dual purpose of protecting the eye and refracting light as it enters the eye. After light passes through, a portion of it passes through an opening known as the pupil.

iris

The colored part of the eye. It is partly responsible for regulating the amount of light permitted to enter the eye.

aqueous chamber

The front section of the eye's interior where aqueous humor flows in and out providing nourishment to the eye and surrounding tissues.

retina

The light-sensitive nerve layer that lines the back of the eye. It senses light and creates impulses that are sent through the optic nerve to the brain.

choroid

The thin, blood-rich membrane that lies between the retina and the sclera and is responsible for supplying blood to the retina.

lens

The transparent structure inside the eye that focuses light rays onto the retina.

sclera

The white visible portion of the eyeball. The muscles that move the eyeball are attached to it.

ciliary body

has three functions: accommodation, aqueous humor production and the resorption, and maintenance of the lens zonules. It also anchors the lens in place. Accommodation essentially means that when the ciliary muscle contracts, the lens becomes more convex, generally improving the focus for closer objects. When it relaxes it flattens the lens, generally improving the focus for farther objects. One of the essential roles of the ciliary body is also the production of the aqueous humor, which is responsible for providing most of the nutrients for the lens and the cornea and involved in waste management of these areas.