CHAPTER 7: LIGHT AT WORK

Lesson 7.1: The Human Eye

Your ability to see depends on the normal functioning of the

different parts of the eye.
 The Eye
• is an opaque ball averaging 2.3 cm in diameter
 Cornea

• window of the eye

• is the outer thin, transparent membrane
• covers the iris, pupil, and anterior chamber
• refracts most of the incident light that enters
 Conjunctiva
•is the thin, transparent tissue that lines the inner
surface of the eyelids and the outer surface of the
eyeball

Conjunctivitis - a condition
that makes the white part of
the eye appear red, which is
caused by either an allergic
reaction or a bacterial/viral
infection
 Sclera

• provides structure, protection, and strength to the

eyeball
 Pupil
• is an opening through which light enters the inner
portion of the eye
• changes size to regulate the amount of light entering
the eye

In dim light, it enlarges to

allow more light to pass
through. In bright light, it
becomes smaller to minimize
incoming light.
 Iris
• is the colored circle of the eye (brown, blue, gray, etc)
• regulates the size of the pupil through the contraction
or relaxation of its muscles
 Crystalline lens
• can focus on objects at different distances by
changing its shape
 Ciliary muscles
• responsible for changing the shape of the crystalline
lens when focusing on objects at different distances

To focus on a nearby object,

the muscles contract and the
center of the lens become
thicker. If the object is distant,
the muscles are relaxed and
the lens is thin.
 Retina

• consists of light-sensitive rods and cones

Rods – enable us to see in the dark

Cones – can distinguish color and are responsible for
daytime vision
Fovea – region of most distinct vision
Blind spot – where the optic nerves exit
Optic nerve – carries images from the retina to the brain
 Choroid
• composed of layers of blood vessels and connective
tissues
• it nourishes the back of the eye with blood and
nutrients
 Aqueous humor/Vitreous humor
• gel-like fluids responsible for giving the eye its near
perfect spherical shape

DIFFERENC
ES
 The Physics of Sight
• When you look at an object, the light striking the object
enters the eye through the cornea. Because of its bulging
shape and the big difference between its index of
refraction (n=1.38) and that of the surrounding air
(n=1.00), the cornea is where most of the refraction of
light occurs.
• After passing through the cornea, a portion of this light
passes through the pupil and goes to the crystalline lens.
The crystalline lens, being convex in shape, focuses this
light on a single point and, by the help of the ciliary
muscles, casts an image of the object on the retina.
• The image formed is real, inverted, and smaller than the
object. It is relayed to the brain by the optic nerve. This
image is then adjusted by the brain so that you can see
the object as it is.
CHAPTER 7: LIGHT AT WORK
Lesson 7.2: Vision Problems

Vision problems may be treated by surgery or corrected by proper

eye lenses.
 Near Point and Far Point
•the closest distance at which an object can be seen
clearly by the eye
Young adults – 25 cm
Children – around 10 cm
The aged – 50 cm or more

•the farthest distance which is taken as infinity

Normal healthy eye can see objects as close as 25 cm or
very distant from it.
 Myopia
• medical term for nearsightedness
• condition wherein the person can see nearby objects
clearly but distant objects are blurry
• can be corrected by using a diverging lens or concave
lens (causes the light to bend slightly before entering
the eye so that the image will be formed exactly at
the retina)
 Problem
•the power P of a lens used to correct a vision problem
is the reciprocal of focal length (m)
•the unit of power is the diopter (D)
•thus, 1 D = 1/m

Sample: The far point of Andrew is 2.0 m away rather

than infinity. What corrective lens should be
prescribed? What should be the power of this lens?
 Solution
•since Andrew's far point is 2.0 m, he must be
nearsighted
•a diverging lens must be used to correct his vision
problem (form a virtual image of an object at infinity at
his far point)
•therefore, d =o ∞ and d = i-2.0 m
• P = 1 = 1 + 1 = -5.0 D
f ∞ -2.0 m

Thus, a diverging lens with a power of -5.0 D must be

prescribed to Andrew.
 Hyperopia

• medical term for farsightedness

• condition wherein the person can see distant objects
but cannot focus clearly on nearby objects
• a converging lens or a convex lens can correct this
vision problem
• a person becomes farsighted as he or she grows old
 Problem and Solution
Sample: Angela is a farsighted person with a near point
of 50 cm. What corrective lens should she use to see
clearly at a distance of 25 cm?
•near point of Angela is 50 cm
•lens that must be prescribed should form a virtual
image of the object at 25 cm away from her
• 1 = 1 + 1 . (f = 50 cm)
f 25 cm -50 cm

•P = 1 = 2.0 D
0.5 m

A coverging lens with a power of 2.0 D should be used.

 Presbyopia
• sometimes called aging eyes or old eyes
• many people aged 40 and above suffer from this
since it is a normal consequence of growing old
• distant objects are seen clearly but nearby objects
appear blurry
• a person with such condition needs reading glasses
• alternatively, a biofocal lens may be prescribed
 Astigmatism

• a person suffering from this condition cannot focus

simultaneously on horizontal and vertical lines
• caused by the cornea's irregular shape or unequal
curvature
• a cylindrical lens is used to correct this vision
problem
 Surgery
• keratectomy and refractive surgery are two eye
correction procedures that use the excimer laser to
reshape the cornea
• take approximately 10 minutes (with actual laser
time exposure varying from 15 to 60 seconds)
• people attest to the painlessness of the procedures
with mild pain and discomfort several hours after a
LASIK procedure or three to four days after a
photorefractive keratectomy procedure