STRUCTURE & FUNCTION OF

EYE

INTRODUCTION
Gift of the Creator
Gives us the sense of sight
70% of all sensory receptors

are

in the eye
Spheroid structure, about 2/3 the
size of a ping-pong ball
Functions: distinguishes light and
dark, shape, colour, brightness &
distance of objects.

EXTERNAL STRUCTURE OF
EYE
Includes

: bony orbit, eyelids,

eyelashes, tears and fat glands,
extra
ocular
muscles,
conjunctiva

BONY ORBIT/EYE
SOCKET
Most

of the eye is enclosed in a

bony orbit
Structure:
o Cheekbone
o Forehead
o Temple
o Side of nose
Function:
Provides protection to the eye

EYELIDS
A thin fold of skin that covers the eye
Protect eye from foreign matter (dust, dirt,
debris)
Protect against
bright light that might
damage the eye
Lubricate the eye surface by distributing
Upper
tears over the
cornea

eyelid

Lower
eyelid

EYELASHES
Are

the hairs that grow

at the edge of eyelids
Protect the eye by
filtering out foreign
matter

CONJUNCTIVA
A

thin, clear layer of skin

Lines the inner surface of eyelids &
covers the front surface of the eye
ball except the cornea
Secretes mucus to lubricate the eye
Keeps bacteria and foreign
material from getting behind eye

INNER LAYER

STRUCTURE OF RETINA
Innermost,

sensitive layer of

the eye
A
delicate
membrane
containing photoreceptors &
associated neurons

PHOTORECEPTORS
Are of two main kinds:
Rods
Cones

RODS
Sensitive

to dim light
Present everywhere in the retina
except the fovea
Allow dim light vision & peripheral
vision
125 million rods in the average
retina

CONES
Sensitive

to bright light
Clustered near the centre of
retina(fovea)
Distinguish colours & allow
sharp vision
5 million cones in the average
retina

FOVEA
A

depression in the retina directly

opposite to lens

Fovea (cont.)
Contains

only cones & no

rods
Function:
to
form
an
extremely clear image
Is directed towards whatever
object you are studying most
closely

OPTIC DISC/BLIND SPOT

A

point where the optic nerve

enters retina

Optic
nerve
Optic

BLIND SPOT
absence

of cones & rods

at the optic disc
No vision is possible here
Referred to as blind spot

OPTIC NERVE
The bundle of
over one billion
nerve fibres that
carry
visual
messages from
the retina to the
brain.

RETINAL BLOOD
VESSELS
Arteries

transmit oxygen
& nutrients

Veins

carry deoxygenated
blood from the eye

FUNCTION OF RETINA
Transforms

light energy
to electrical signals

CHAMBERS OF EYE
Posterior
Chamber
Anterior
Chambe
r

AQUEOUS HUMOUR
A

clear, watery fluid in the

anterior chamber
Nourishes the lens & cornea and
helps refract light onto the retina

VITREOUS HUMOUR
A

clear, gel-like fluid in the

posterior chamber
Supports the lens & retina and
keeps the eye from collapsing
Aids the magnifying power of the
eye

WORKING OF THE EYE

Light

rays coming from object

enter
through
the
cornea,
progress through pupil & fall on
eye lens which converts light rays
& produces a real & inverted
image of object on retina. The
image thus formed is conveyed to
brain by optic nerve in the form
of electrical signals which are