Our Sense of Sight and Light

The sense of sight is the ability of the sense

organ to detect light stimuli.
The eyes are the sense organs of sight that are
sensitive to light.
Human eyes are spherical. They are inside bony
sockets in the skull.
Three pairs of muscles control the movement of
the eyeballs
The tear gland produces tears to clear the eyes
and kill micro organisms.

Sclera
Ciliary muscles
Suspensory
ligaments

Choroids
Retina
Yellow spot

Iris
Pupil

Blind spot

Aqueous
humour
Cornea
Eye lens
Conjunctiva

Optic nerve
Vitreous
humour

The characteristics and functions of

the different parts of the human eye
Structure

Characteristic

Functions

Sclera

Tough, fibrous, outer

layer that is white,
opaque and strong

Forms a protective layer round

the eyeball

Choroids

Middle layer that contains

a network of capillaries
and black pigments

The capillaries supply nutrients

and oxygen to the eye.
The black pigments absorb light
and prevent reflection of light

Retina

The innermost layer of

the eyeball. It has cells
sensitive to light

Receives light stimulus and

sends information in the form of
nerve impulse to the brain

Structure

Characteristic

Functions

Yellow spot
(fovea)

A point on the retina that

is directly opposite the
pupil

The part of the retina that is

most sensitive to light.
Detects the images of objects
formed and changes them to
nerve impulses.

Blind Spot

A point on the retina

where the optic nerve
leaves the eye.
There are no lightsensitive cells here

This point on the retina is not

sensitive to light.
Images falling on this spot
cannot be detected

Cornea

The part of the sclera

that is transparent at the
front of the eye

Allows light to enter the eye

Helps to focus light onto the
retina by bending the light rays
passing through it.

Iris

The coloured part of the

eye around the pupil

Controls the size of the pupil

and hence the amount of light
entering the eye

Structure

Pupil

Characteristic

Functions

The opening at the front Allows light to pass into the eye
of the eye that is
Controls the amount of light that
surrounded by the iris
enters the eye

Eye lens

Biconvex, transparent
and elastic

Bends and focuses the light to

form an image on the retina.
The thickness of the lens can
be altered to focus near and
distant objects

Suspensory
ligaments

Strong membranes that

connect the lens to the
ciliary muscles.

Holds the lens in place and

connects it to the ciliary
muscles.

Ciliary
muscles

Muscles formed from

the anterior end of the
choroid

Contracts and relaxes to

change the thickness of the
lens. This change the focal
length of the lens.

Structure

Characteristic

Functions

Aqueous
humour

A watery, transparent
fluid that fills the
space between the
cornea and the eye
lens

Helps to focus the image onto

the retina.
Helps to maintain the shape
of the eye and the pressure in
the eye

Vitreous
humour

A thick jelly-like,
transparent fluid that
fills up the space
behind the eye lens

Helps keep the shape of the

eye spherical
Bends light onto the retina

The nerve that

Sends nerve impulse from the
Optic nerve connects the retina to
retina to the brain to be
the brain
interpreted.