ANATOMY AND PHYSIOLOGY OF

THE EYE
ANTERIOR SEGMENTS
THE EYE
 EYE COMPARTEMENTS

• The anterior chamber (the space

between the iris and the cornea):
filled with aqueous fluid
• The posterior chamber (the
anatomical portion of the eye
posterior to the iris and the
anterior to the lens and vitreous
face): filled with the aqueous fluid
• The vitreous cavity (the largest
compartement): makes up more
than two-thirds of the volume of
the eye, contains vitreous gel.
 LAYERS

• The outermost layer consist of the clear cornea anteriorly and the
opaque white sclera posteriorly. The outmost corneoscleral layer is
composed of tough and protective tissue
• The middle layer of the globe is uvea; which consist of the coroid,
cilliary body, and iris
• The intermost layer of the globe is the retina
 • The exposed surfaces of the cornea
and globe are coverred by the
precorneal tear film, which is
composed conceptually of 3 layers:
• A superficial lipid layer; produces
predominantly by the meibomian
PRECORNEAL TEAR FILM and zeis glands
• A middle aqueous layer; produced
by the main and accessory lacrimal
glands
• A deep mucin layer; derived from
the conjunctival goblet cells
 FUNCTION OF TEAR FILM

• Keeps the cornea and

conjunctiva moist.
• Provides oxygen to the corneal
epithelium.
• Washes away debris and noxious
irritants.
• Prevents infection due to
presence of antibacterial
substances.
• Facilitates movements of the lids
over the globe.
 • Transparant, avascular
• The posterior surface of the cornea
is more curved than the anterior
surface (dome shaped)
• Anterior: covered by precorneal tear
film
CORNEA
• Posterior: connected directly to
aqueous humor
Epithelium and Basal Lamina

Bowman Layer

Stroma

Descement Membrane

Endothelium
 EPITHELIUM AND BASAL LAMINA

• The anterior surface of the

cornea is derived from surface
ectoderm
• Covered by a nonkeratinized,
stratified squamous epithelium
whose basal columnar layer is
attached to a basal lamina by
hemidesmosomes.
 BOWMAN LAYER

• Beneath the basal lamina,

consisting of randomly dispersed
collagen fibrils.
• Unlike the descement
membrane, it is not restored
after injury but rathter replaced
by scar tissue.
 STROMA

• The stroma constitutes

approximately 90% of total
corneal thickness in humans.
• Composed of collagen-producing
keratocytes, ground substance,
and collagen lamella.
• The stroma’s collagen types are
I,III, V, and VI. Types VII forms the
anchoring fibril of the epithelium.
 DESCEMENT MEMBRANE

• It is true basement membrane, and thickness increases with

age.
• At birth, the Descemenet membrane is 3-4 µm thick; its
thickness increases to 10-12 µm at adulthood.
• Composed of an anterior banded zone that develops in utero
and a posterior nonbanded zone that is laid down by the cornal
endothelium throughtout life.
• Rich of collagen type IV.
 ENDOTHELIUM

• Composed of a single layer of mostly

hexagonal cells derived from the
neural crest.
• The corneal endothelium is of
neuroectodermal origin.
• Active ion transport
• Endothelial cell dysfunction and loss
through surgical injury, inflammation,
or inherited disease may cause
endothelial decompesation, stromal
edema, and vision failure.
 PHYSIOLOGY

Two primary physiological functions

• As a major refracting medium
• Protect at intraocular contents
Corneal transperancy is the result
of
• Peculiar arrangement of corneal lamellae
• Avascularity
• Relative state of dehydration
 • Covers the posterior 4/5 of the
surface of the globe, with an
anterior opening for the cornea and
SCLERA a posterior opening for the optic
nerve
• The sclera is thinnest just behind
the insertions of the rectus muscles
and thickest at the posterior pole
around the optic nerve head
• The sclera is essentially avascular
except for the superficial vessels of
the episclera and the intrascleral
vascular plexus located just
posterior to the limbus
 LAYERS

Episclera

Scleral stroma

Lamina Fusca
 BLOOD SUPPLY

Anterior to the
insertions of the Posterior part :
rectus muscles : small branches
Relatively avascular the anterior cilliary from the long and
arteries form a short posterior
dense episcleral ciliary arteries
plexus
 NERVE SUPPLY

Supplied by branches of the

ciliary nerve

Many short ciliary nerves supply

the posterior portion

Two long ciliary nerves supply

the anterior region
 • The transition zone between the
peripheral cornea and the anterior
sclera.
• The following 5 structures are
included in the limbus:
• Conjungtiva and limbal palisades
LIMBUS
• Tenon capsules
• Episclera
• Corneoscleral stroma
• Aqueous outflow aparatus
• Important for
• Surgical landmark
• Relation to the chamber angle

• Function
• Nourishment of the peripheral cornea
• Corneal woung healing
• Immunosurveillance of ocular surface
• Hypersensitivity response
• Contains the pathways of aqueous humour
outflow
 ANTERIOR CHAMBER

• The anterior chamber is bordered anteriorly by the cornea and

posteriorly by the iris diapghragm and the pupil.
• Consist of the following 5 structures:
• Schwalbe line
• Schlemm canal and trabecular meshwork
• Scleral spur
• Anterior border of the cilliary body
• Iris
• The anterior chamber is filled with aqueous humor, which is produced
by the cilliary epithelium in the posterior chamber.
• The fluid passes through the pupil aperture and drains chefly by the
conventional pathway through the trabecular meshwork into the
Schlemm canal and partlly by the nontrabecular uveoscleral drainage
pathway, across the ciliary body into the supraciliary space.
 • A circular spongework of connective
tissue lined by trabeculocytes.
• The trabecular meshwork can be
devided into 3 layers:
• Uveal portion

TRABECUL AR MESHWORK • Corneoscleral meshwork

• Juxtacanalicular tissue
 A: uveal meshwork

B: Corneosceral meshwork

C: Schwalbe line

D: Schlemm canal

E: Connector channels

F: Longitudinal muscle of the

cilliary body

G: Scleral pur
 SCHLEMM CANAL

• A circular tube that closely

resembles a lymphatic vessel.
• Formed by a continuous
monolayer of nonfenestrates
endothelium and a thin tissue
wall.
 AQUEOUS HUMOR

• The transparent fluid that fills the anterior and posterior

chambers.
• The major nutrients source for the avascular lens and cornea
• Composition of aqueous humor: inorganic ion, organic anion,
carbohydrate, glutathione, urea, protein, growth-modulatory
factor, O2, CO2.
 AQUEOUS HUMOUR

Aqueous Trabecul
Ciliary in the Anterior ae
Pupil
process posterior chamber Meshwor
chamber k 90%
• Function
• Provides nutrients to the anterior
segment
• Removes the metabolic wastes
from these tissues
• Helps to maintain appropriate IOP
• Eye’s structural integrity
• Provides an optically clear medium
for the transmission of light along
the visual path
 • Consist of 3 parts:
• Iris
• Ciliary body
• Choroid

UVEAL TRACT
 IRIS

• The most anterior extension of the uveal tract

• Made of blood vessels and conective tissue, in addition to
melanocytes and pigment cells responsible for its distinctive
color.
• The size of pupil regulates the amount of light entering the eye
 DILATOR MUSCLE SPINCTER MUSCLE

• Derived • Derived from the

embryologically neuroectoderm
from the outer • Composed of a
layer of the optic circular band of
cup, which is smooth muscle
neuroectoderm. fibers
• There is dual • Located near the
sympathetic and pupillary margin
para sympathetic in the deep
innervation. stroma, anterior
to the pigment
epithelium of the
iris.
 BLOOD SUPPLY

• 7 Anterior cillary arteries & 2

long posterior cilliary arteries 
major arterial circle  Radial
vessel at collarete minor
arterial circle
• The veins follow the arteries 
minor venous circle.
• Large vein in anterior stroma,
smaller vein in deeper layers
drain posteriorly/centrifugally 
cilliary body  vortex vein
 PUPIL MOVEMENT

• Low light intensity → a result of the action of the dilator pipillae

muscle → mydriasis (dilatation)
• Bright light → a result of the action on the sphincter pipillae
muscle → miosis (contraction)
 • Lies between the iris and the
choroid.
• It contains pigment and a rich
vascular network.
• Divided into two sections, the
anterior pars plicata and the more
CILLIARY BODY
posterior pars plana.
• Two main functions
• Triangular in cross section → bridges
anterior and posterior segments of eye
• Plays a role in trabecular and
uveoscleral outflow of aqueous humor
Histological
ly devided

Cilliary
in:

epithelium
Cilliary
stroma
Cilliary
muscle
CILLIARY EPITHELIUM

Non Pigmented
Epithelium
• cuboidal, columnar or irregular,
depending on age
• Inner non pigmented
epithelium produces aqueous
humor, and representing the
anterior extension of the
neuroretina
Pigmented Epithelium
• external pigmented layer,
representing an extension of
the retinal pigment epithelium
 CILIARY STROMA

Bundle of loose connective

tissues

Rich blood vessels

Melanocytes, fibroblast, and

immune cells.
CILIARY MUSCLE
 • Transparant and biconvex structure
located directly behind the posterior
chamber and pupil
• Contributes 20.00D of the 60.00D of
focusing power of the average adult
eye.
LENS
• The anteroposterior width of the
lens is approximately 3 mm at birth
and increases after the second
decade of life to approximately 6
mm by age 80 years.
• This growth is accompanied by a
shortening of the anterior radius of
curvature of the lens, which would
increase its optical power if not for
compenasatory change in the
refractive gradient across the lens
substance.
• Lacks innervation and is
avascular
• Depends solely on the aqueous
and vitreous for its nourishment
 CAPSULE

Elastic, transparent

Composed of type IV collagen

Capable of molding during

accomodation changes
 EPITHELIUM

Beneath the anterior and The central zone represents a

equatorial capsule, but it is stable population of cells
absent under the posterior whose numbers slowly decline
capsule. with age.
Epithelium
Peripherally, there are
An intermediate zone of meridional rows of cuboidal
smaller cells shows occasional preequatorial cells that form
mitoses. the germinative zone of the
lens.
COTEX AND NUCLEUS

No cells are lost from the lens.

The oldest of these persist in
the centre of the lens and the
most recently formed are the
outermost fibers and make up
the cortex of the lens
Lens sutures are formed by the
arrangement of interdigitation
of apical cells processes
(anterior sutures) and the basal
cells process (posterior sutures)
 ZONULAR FIBERS

The lens is held in place by

the system of zonular fibers
that originate from the basal
laminae of the nonpigmented
epithelium of the pars plana of
cilliary body

When the eye is focused for

distace, the zonue is under
tension and the lens form is
relatively flattened.

During the accomodation,

contraction of the cilliary
muscle moves the proximal
attachement of the zonule
forward and inward, so the
lens becomes more globular
and the eye adjust for near
vsion.
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