Cornea:
The cornea is a dime-sized clear tissue covering the front of
the eye which acts like a camera's aperture &
referred to as the ‘front window of the eye'. It provides most
of the focusing power when light enters your eye. Light rays
pass through the cornea and then through the lens. The lens
forms an image on the retina in the back of the eye where the
optic nerve is located. Sight is controlled by the optic
nerve, the only nerve of vision. This nerve activates the
retina to pick up the image in view. The cornea is
transparent structure which is
composed of 5 layers of tissue. The outer layer (the
epithelium) is the eye's protective layer. This layer is made
up of highly regenerative cells that can grow back within 3
days, and therefore, allow for fast healing of superficial
injuries. Most of the inner layers provide strength to the
eye. The corneal
grafting, laser vision or R.K correction procedure is
performed on this part of the eye.
Sclera: This is the 'white part' that we see in
people's eye. The sclera's purpose is to provide structure,
strength and protection to the eye.
Iris: The
colored part of the eye mostly brown, black & blue. The
iris helps in regulating the amount of light that enters the
eye with contraction
or expansion of the muscles of the iris.
Pupil: Acts like
a shutter of camera, situated in the middle of the iris. The
pupil determines how much light is let into the eye. It
changes sizes to accommodate for the amount of light that is
available. When
you are in a bright environment, the pupil becomes smaller to
allow less light through. When it is dark, the pupil expands
to allow more light to reach the back of the
eye.
Lens: The
transparent structure
located behind the pupil which helps in focusing light
rays over the retina. As
people reach their 60’s or 70’s, the lens sometimes becomes
cloudy and hard (cataract
formation), preventing light from entering the
eye
Retina: The nerve layer
that lines the back of the eye. The retina senses light and
creates impulses that are sent through the optic nerve to the
brain, acting as film to record the light (the photo
itself).
Macula: A small area in the retina that contains
special light-sensitive cells. The macula allows us to see
fine details clearly.
Optic
Nerve: The nerve that
connects the eye to the brain. The optic nerve carries the
impulses formed by the retina to the brain, which interprets
them as images.
Vitreous: The
clear, jelly-like substance that fills the middle of the
eye.
Other
eye structures: Support the
main activity of sight: Some carry fluids (such as tears and
blood) to lubricate or nourish the eye.
Others are muscles: That allow the eye movements. Some protect the
eye from injury (such as the eyelids and the epithelium of the
cornea). And some are messengers, sending sensory information
to the brain (such as the pain-sensing nerves in the cornea
and the optic nerve behind the
retina).
Eye Diseases Pictures Slideshow: Recognize These Common Eye Conditions