Anatomy of the eye

The eye is one of our most important sensory organs and also the most sensitive. That is why, embedded in the eye socket, it is protected by the eyelids, eyelashes and a tear film.

The eye wall - surrounds the eye and comprises different layers. The sclera - outermost layer of the eye wall; 6 muscles are attached to it, allowing the eye to move in the eye socket. The choroid - rich in blood vessels; it supplies the adjacent layers with nutrients and oxygen. The retina - the innermost layer of the eye wall; it contains light-perceptive cells that transmit information to the brain via the optic nerve. The cornea translucent layer; when deviations in shape occur, the eye's focal point changes causing vision defects. The iris - a circular muscle that acts as an aperture in the eye and regulates the intensity of the penetrating light. The pupil - opening in the iris that allows light into the interior. The vitreous body - jelly-like mass that fills the back of the eye; protects and supports the retina. The ciliary muscle - serves to suspend the lens, its structure regulating the degree of curvature of the lens and, consequently, its power of refraction. The lens -crystal-clear, flexible body behind the pupil; it bundles and refracts the incident rays of light; can regulate image sharpness by its changing shape (curvature). The optic nerve - contains approximately 1 million nerve fibres; transmits information from the retina to the visual centre. The visual centre -a part of the brain at the back of the head; processes the information from the optic nerve and "develops" images of our surroundings.