[A] Human Eye Anatomy / Vocabulary focus

[A] Eye-diagram

1. vitreous body /vt.ri.s bdi/ 16. medial rectus muscle

2. ora serrata /ora serrata / 17. retinal arteries and veins
3. ciliary muscle / ciliari / 18. optic disc
4. ciliary zonules / cil.i.ari znul/ 19. dura mater /dura meit:/
5. Schlemm's canal /lemz/ 20. central retinal artery
6. pupil /pupil/ 21. central retinal vein
7. anterior chamber 22. optic nerve
8. cornea 23. vorticose vein /vorticos vein/
9. iris /a.rs/ 24. bulbar sheath / blbar i /
10. lens cortex 25. macula /mekul/
11. lens nucleus 26. fovea / fuvi/
12. ciliary process 27. sclera
13. conjunctiva 28. choroid /ko r-o id/
14. inferior oblique muscle 29. superior rectus muscle
15. inferior rectus muscle 30. retina

1. Vitreous body - a transparent jellylike (gelatinous) substance enclosing the vitreous humor
and filling the interior of the eyeball behind the lens.
2. Ora serrata - the ora serrata (of the eye) is the serrated junction between the retina and the
ciliary body.
3. Ciliary muscle - a circular muscle that relaxes or tightens the zonules to enable the lens to
change shape for focusing.
4. Ciliary zonules - ciliary zonule (zonule of Zinn) a series of fibers connecting the ciliary body
and lens of the eye, holding the lens in place.
- ciliary body - the part of the eye that connects the choroid to the iris.
5. Schlemm's canal - a circular canal in the eye that drains aqueous humor from the anterior
chamber of the eye into the anterior ciliary veins
6. Pupil - the contractile aperture in the center of the iris of the eye; resembles a large black
dot, the circular opening in the centre of the iris through which light passes into the lens of
the eye. The iris controls widening and narrowing (dilation and constriction) of the pupil.
7. Anterior chamber - The space in the eye that is behind the cornea and in front of the iris.
The anterior chamber is filled with a watery fluid known as the aqueous humor.
8. Cornea - the transparent dome-shaped anterior portion of the outer covering of the eye; it
covers the iris and pupil and is continuous with the sclera. The cornea contains no blood
vessels and is extremely sensitive to pain.
9. Iris - muscular diaphragm that controls the size of the pupil which in turn controls the
amount of light that enters the eye; it forms the colored portion of the eye
10. Lens cortex - the tissue that surrounds the lens nucleus
- lens: a transparent structure situated behind your pupil. It is enclosed in a thin
transparent capsule and helps to refract incoming light and focus it onto the retina. A
cataract is when the lens becomes cloudy, and a cataract operation involves the
replacement of the cloudy lens with an artificial plastic lens.
11. Lens nucleus - the central structure of the lens that is surrounded by the cortex
12. Ciliary process - any one of about 80 tiny fleshy projections on the posterior surface of the
iris, forming a frill around the margin of the crystalline lens of the eye. The processes
compose one of the two zones of the ciliary body of the eye and are formed by infolding of
the various layers of the choroid. They secrete nutrient fluids to nourish the lens, cornea,
and vitreous body.
13. Conjunctiva - a transparent lubricating mucous membrane that covers the eyeball and the
under surface of the eyelid
14. Inferior oblique muscle - Action: turns eye up and outward with lateral rotation.
15. Inferior rectus muscle - Action: turns eye down and medially.
16. Medial rectus muscle - Action: turns eye medially.
17. Retinal arteries and veins - The arteries are branches of a single central artery, which is a
branch of the ophthalmic artery. The central artery enters at the center of the optic papilla
and supplies the inner layers of the retina. The veins lack muscular coats.
18. Optic disc - the point where the optic nerve enters the retina; not sensitive to light. The
visible (when the eye is examined) portion of the optic nerve, also found on the retina. The
optic disc identifies the start of the optic nerve where messages from cone and rod cells leave
the eye via nerve fibres to the optic centre of the brain. This area is also known as the 'blind
spot.
19. Dura mater - or dura, is a thick membrane that is the outermost of the three layers of the
meninges that surround the brain and spinal cord.
20. Central retinal artery The central retinal artery (retinal artery) branches off the
ophthalmic artery, running inferior to the optic nerve within its dural sheath to the eyeball.
21. ---
22. Optic nerve - the group of nerve fibres (= structures like threads) that pass signals from the
retina at the back of each eye to the brain
23. Vorticose vein - a vein formed by branches from the back surface of the eye and the ciliary
body; empties into the ophthalmic veins
24. Bulbar sheath (Tenons capsule) - The fascia bulbi (also known as the capsule of Tenon
(Tenons capsule) and the bulbar sheath) is a thin membrane which envelops the eyeball
from the optic nerve to the limbus, separating it from the orbital fat and forming a socket in
which it moves. Its inner surface is smooth, and is separated from the outer surface of the
sclera by the periscleral lymph space.
25. Macula - a small yellowish central area of the retina that is rich in cones and that mediates
clear detailed vision / a yellow spot on the retina at the back of the eye which surrounds the
fovea.
26. Fovea - a very small hollow in a bone or organ, especially in the macula of the eye, area
consisting of a small depression in the retina containing cones and where vision is most
acute. It forms a small indentation (notch(Vshaped cut), cut, dent) at the centre of the macula
and is the area with the greatest concentration of cone cells. When the eye is directed at an
object, the part of the image that is focused on the fovea is the image most accurately
registered by the brain.
27. Sclera - the whitish fibrous membrane (albuginea) that with the cornea forms the outer
covering and protection of the eyeball
28. Choroid - a highly vascular membrane in the eye between the retina and the sclera; a dark
pigmentation minimizes the scattering of light inside the eye, the layer between the retina
and the outer white covering of the eye, that contains blood vessels and pigment (= substance
giving colour), it also contains a pigment that absorbs excess light so preventing blurring of
vision.
29. ---
30. Retina - the innermost light-sensitive membrane covering the back wall of the eyeball; it is
continuous with the optic nerve. It is composed of light sensitive cells known as rods and
cones. The human eye contains about 125 million rods, which are necessary for seeing in
dim light. Cones, on the other hand, function best in bright light. There are between 6 and
7 million cones in the eye and they are essential for receiving a sharp accurate image and for
distinguishing colours.
 - cone cells - are the second type of light sensitive cells in the retina of the eye. The human
retina contains between six and seven million cones; they function best in bright light
and are essential for acute vision (receiving a sharp accurate image).
The eye represents an organ of vision which makes you visualize the world around you. The eyes
are two in number and each is placed inside specialized compartments in the skull.
The human eye is the organ which enables you
to see. The human eye does not only let you
view the scenes and phenomenon in your
surroundings, but also enables you to
differentiate between colors. Sometimes, there
is a minor defect in the eye function and the
individual cannot make difference between the
red and green color. What is the name for such
a condition? Well, you call it color blindness.
Eye function renders you the sense of sight.
They convert light into electrical signals.
Afterwards, the brain deciphers these electrical signals into images. Properly working healthy eyes
are able to perform the following functions.
Our eyes enable us to see colors. Certain organisms, such as dogs, cannot see colors and, so, their
world is black and white.
Eyes help us see near as well as distant objects.

Human Eye Facts How It Works. These small organs perform a very complex function. The
working mechanism of the eyes consists of the following simple steps
When we see an object, light is reflected off it into our eyes.
The light rays entering our eyes first pass through the pupil. These are the muscles of iris that
control the size of the pupil.
After passing through the pupil, light passes through the transparent lens of the eye. There occurs
the refraction and focusing of the light rays on the retina.
Light sensitive cells, rods and cones, present in the retina convert the light rays into electrical
impulses. It is one of the most amazing facts about eyes of human beings.
The optic nerve transfers these electrical impulses from the retina to the brain which then
processes these signals and translates them in the form of an image.

Eye Problems. These extremely delicate organs can fall prey to different eye problems due to
allergic factors, unhygienic conditions and the old age. Below are some of the most common
diseases of eyes.

Conjunctivitis. Conjunctivitis has got a common name

the pink eye disease. It is an inflammation of conjunctiva,
the transparent membrane which covers the sclera.
Inflammation of tiny blood vessels found in conjunctiva
makes our eyes appear red.

Cataracts. Cataracts affect the eye lenses. They may occur

due to old age or exist as a defect by birth. Parts of lenses become opaque, blocking the passage of
light to the retina, thereby obstructing our vision.

Glaucoma. Glaucoma is a disease which leads to blindness due to a damage to the optic nerve.
When the optic nerve fails to transmit electric signals to the brain, an individual is unable to see at
all.