Medical School Histology Basics

Eye
VIBS 289 lab

Larry Johnson Texas A&M University

 Aqueous humor

OUTLINE
OVERVIEW
CELLULAR STRUCTURES
THROUGH WHICH LIGHT
PASSES
A. CORNEA
B. LENS
C. RETINA
STRUCTURES WHICH Vitreous humor
INFLUENCE THE IMAGE
A. IRIS
B. CILIARY BODIES
C. TRABECULAR MESHWORK
 Aqueous
humor

VITREOUS BODY
(VITREOUS HUMOR)
34412
192 Eye – conjuctiva on white of eye

sclera

Conjunctiva

Stratified squamous
epithelium with
some goblet cells
Eye 192 human and 34412 monkey
Connective tissue Aqueous humor

Nerve
Posterior
192 chamber
Retina
Cornea
Sclera
Pupil
Optic nerve
Anterior
chamber

Lens

Iris

34412
Ciliary body
34412 Vitreous body Chorioid layer
192 Eye – corneal layers
Stratified squamous
Epithelium

Bowman's membrane

Corneal
endothelium
Corneal stroma

Corneal fibroblasts

Descemet's Membrane
292 corneal layers Iris of Eye (toluidine blue)
Ciliary muscle:
smooth muscle

Sclera

Lens

Sclera-cornea junction (limbus)

Bowman's membrane Aqueous

humor

Corneal stroma

Corneal Aqueous
endothelium humor
Iris
Descemet's
Iris
Membrane Anterior
Posterior chamber
chamber
292 Ciliary muscle:Ciliary
smoothprocesses
muscle

Blood vessel

lens

Nerves

Ciliary muscle
192
192 Eye – ciliary muscle Pupil
Iris

Artifactual
space

Conjunctival
sac

Sclera-cornea junction (limbus) Ciliary muscle

Posterior chamber

Ciliary processes

Anterior
Ciliary muscle
chamber
(smooth muscle)
192 192 Eye – secretory cells
Pigmented cells of
the ciliary processes
become the dilator
muscle of the iris

Pigmented cells
Secretory cells

Secretory cells
become the
Iris
pigmented cells
of the iris

Ciliary processes
292 Eye (toluidine blue)
Conjunctiva
Iris Ciliary muscle

Trabecular meshwork
Air
Canal of Schlemm

Anterior
chamber
Limbus

Endothelium of
trabecular
meshwork Ciliary
is continuous processes
with the
transport
endothelium of Iris
the cornea Posterior chamber
192 Eye – trabecular meshwork and
canal of Schlemm

Canal of Schlemm
Ciliary muscle
Limbus

Trabecular meshwork

Anterior chamber with

aqueous humor
 Canal of Schlemm

Trabecular meshwork

Iris Blood
vessels

Posterior chamber with

aqueous humor

Monkey eye

34412
292 Eye (toluidine blue)

Lens

Dilator
muscle

Lens
Iris pupil Iris

Cuboidal
Constrictor epithelium
muscle on anterior
surface of Iris
lens
Pupil
292 Eye (toluidine blue)

Lens

Lens cuboidal
epithelium

Lens
Lens
capsule

Iris constrictor smooth muscle

The
capsule is
a shared
basement
membrane
of the lens
epithelium
The
capsule is
a shared
basement
membrane
of the lens
epithelium

Lens
192 and 34412 Lens anterior surface
Lens and iris 192
Pigmented
epithelium of iris

Lens capsule
Iris

Iris
Lens cuboidal
epithelium
34412

Iris constrictor muscle

is smooth muscle
292 Eye (toluidine blue) elongation of
lens cuboidal cells at bow region
Lens cuboidal epithelium on its anterior
surface gives rise to elongated lens fibers in
Capsule
Lens cuboidal the bow region, and the shared basement
epithelium membrane of these cells is the capsule

Capsule

flattened lens fibers

No cuboidal
epithelium on the posterior
Artifactual space surface of the lens and the
34412 capsule is thinner there
 Sites of attachment of Anterior surface
34412 zonules to the lens’ capsule
Eye monkey

Iris

Ligaments
lens
(zonules)

192
lens One site of attachment
of a zonule to the
capsule on the lens on
its posterior surface
 34412
Sclara

Ciliary muscle
Zonules

192

Lens fibers

Capsule and cuboidal epithelium Thinner capsule on the

on the anterior surface of lens posterior surface of the lens
 34412

Eye
monkey
Capillary network
in retina

Pigmented layer
of epithelial cells

Elaborate
network
of vessels, the
choroid plexus.

Central artery
of the retina
 Cones
34412 Rods
Ganglion cell layer
Bipolar cells
Vitreous body

Retinal
pigmented
epithelium

Photosensitive
portion of rod
and cone cells
Retinal
pigmented
epithelium

Venule in the
Sclera choroid plexus
 Rods

Cones

Photosensitive portion of rod and cone cells

Nuclei of rod and cone cells
Retinal pigmented epithelium = outer nuclear layer
 Eye - Retina and choroid:
Blood vessels
in the retina Artifact space

292 Choroid

Choroid plexus

Melanin
granules Retina

Nucleus

Retinal
pigment
epithelium
292 Retina (toluidine blue)
Bipolar cells Artifactual space
Photoreceptor cells

Rods
Optic
nerve

Cones
Capillary
 Typical retina Macula with
top two
Ganglion cell layer
layers pulled
back to aid
vision
Bipolar cells

Rods and cones

Rods and cones

Retinal pigmented epithelium Retinal pigmented epithelium

Conjunctiva Cornea

192 lens

Choroid plexus
Cornea
Iris

Vitreous body Retina Sclera

Lens
292

Anterior
chamber
Optic nerve
Posterior chamber

Aqueous
humor
34412 Pigmented epithelium

Blind spot
where
Choroid
optic nerve enters
the retina

Bipolar cell layer

Ganglion cell layer
Photosensitive region
of rods and cones
292 Eye (toluidine blue)

Blind spot
where
optic nerve enters
the retina
 34412
Choroid plexus

Retina
OPTIC CUP AND
NERVE HEAD

Retina
In summary
 Questions on the eye
1. The integrity of the relationship among structures of the eye is
produced/maintained by:
a. supporting layer of the eye holding pressure
b. precise regulation of pressure via aqueous humor production and outflow
c. the bony structure of the sclera in mammals
d. a and b
e. a, b, and c
2. Which structure is not correctly paired with its function?
a. the iris regulates the amount of light that reaches the retina
b. ciliary bodies alter the shape of the lens by the attached zonules
c. the trabecular meshwork enhances the outflow of vitreous humor
d. the cornea focuses the image on the retina
e. the retinal and choroid blood vessels provide nutrients to the retina

3. Which function(s) least match(s) that of the cornea?

a. protection
b. structural support
c. filter out undesirable light rays
d. focus image on photosensitive portion of the photoreceptor cells
e. none of the above
 Many illustrations in these VIBS Histology YouTube videos were modified
from the following books and sources: Many thanks to original sources!

• Bruce Alberts, et al. 1983. Molecular Biology of the Cell. Garland Publishing, Inc., New York, NY.
• Bruce Alberts, et al. 1994. Molecular Biology of the Cell. Garland Publishing, Inc., New York, NY.

• William J. Banks, 1981. Applied Veterinary Histology. Williams and Wilkins, Los Angeles, CA.

• Hans Elias, et al. 1978. Histology and Human Microanatomy. John Wiley and Sons, New York, NY.

• Don W. Fawcett. 1986. Bloom and Fawcett. A textbook of histology. W. B. Saunders Company, Philadelphia, PA.
• Don W. Fawcett. 1994. Bloom and Fawcett. A textbook of histology. Chapman and Hall, New York, NY.

• Arthur W. Ham and David H. Cormack. 1979. Histology. J. S. Lippincott Company, Philadelphia, PA.

• Luis C. Junqueira, et al. 1983. Basic Histology. Lange Medical Publications, Los Altos, CA.
• L. Carlos Junqueira, et al. 1995. Basic Histology. Appleton and Lange, Norwalk, CT.

• L.L. Langley, et al. 1974. Dynamic Anatomy and Physiology. McGraw-Hill Book Company, New York, NY.

• W.W. Tuttle and Byron A. Schottelius. 1969. Textbook of Physiology. The C. V. Mosby Company, St. Louis, MO.

• Leon Weiss. 1977. Histology Cell and Tissue Biology. Elsevier Biomedical, New York, NY.
• Leon Weiss and Roy O. Greep. 1977. Histology. McGraw-Hill Book Company, New York, NY.

• Nature (http://www.nature.com), Vol. 414:88,2001.

• Arthur C. Guyton,1971.Textbook of Medical Physiology W.B. Saunders company, Philadelphia, PA
• WW Tuttle and BA Schottelius 1969 Textbook of Physiology C.V. Mosby Co.

• A.L. Mescher 2013 Junqueira’s Basis Histology text and atlas, 13th ed. McGraw
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