Eye Anatomy
A guide to the
many parts of the human eye and how they function.
The ability to see is
dependent on the actions of several structures in and around the
eyeball. The graphic below lists many of the essential
components of the eye's optical system.
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When you look at an
object, light rays are reflected from the object to the
cornea, which is where the miracle begins. The light
rays are bent, refracted and focused by the cornea, lens,
and vitreous. The lens' job is to make sure the
rays come to a sharp focus on the retina. The
resulting image on the retina is upside-down. Here at
the retina, the light rays are converted to electrical impulses
which are then transmitted through the optic nerve,
to the brain, where the image is translated and perceived in an
upright position!
Think of the eye as a
camera. A camera needs a lens and a film to produce an image.
In the same way, the eyeball needs a lens (cornea, crystalline lens,
vitreous) to refract, or focus the light and a film (retina) on
which to focus the rays. If any one or more of these
components is not functioning correctly, the result is a poor
picture. The retina represents the film in our camera.
It captures the image and sends it to the brain to be developed. The
macula is the highly sensitive area of the retina.
The macula is responsible for our critical focusing vision. It
is the part of the retina most used. We use our macula to read
or to stare intently at an object.
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Now that you're
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