SSIP TERM 2 2022

LIFE SCIENCES
Topic(s) : EYE
Venue:

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 SSIP AIMS/GOALS
The four interconnected outcomes that drive the professional
development activities for SSIP are:
1. Enhancing Teachers knowledge: deep understanding of subject
matter knowledge and students ideas on the content
2. Enhancing quality teaching and assessment for learning:
effective instructional approaches that teachers may use to
ensure improved understanding by most learners.
3. Developing ICT integration skills :Use of ICT to improve
teaching and learning
4. Building professional learning communities: allow teachers to
start collaborating and form professional networks in non-
formal settings in context of their schools

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 MODULE 3

Overview of Module 3
In this module we will look at the concept of ‘The Eye’
Content
You will study this module through the following units:
Unit 1: structure and functions of the parts of the human eye, using a
diagram
Unit 2: binocular vision and its importance
Unit 3: changes that occur in the human eye during
accommodation and pupillary reflex, using diagrams
Unit 4: the nature and treatment of visual defects, using diagrams

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 OUTCOMES OF THIS MODULE

Statement of the learning outcomes/objectives

When you complete this module you will be able to:
• Build a paper model of the eye.
• Draw and label the parts of the eye.
• Describe the functions of the different parts.
• Briefly explain the changes occurring in the eye
during accommodation and pupillary reflex
• Identify and describe the various defects of the eye
• Conduct a dissection of the eye

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Exam
guidelines
2021

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Unit 1 - The human eye (structure and function)
EXTERNAL STRUCTURE OF THE EYE
Labels in
red not
examinable

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 • Orbit
• Adipose tissue
Protection of • Eyebrows
the eye • Eye lashes
• Eyelid
• Sclera
• Conjunctiva 8
 External structure of the eye
Fill in the missing labels from the word bank:

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INTERNAL STRUCTURE OF THE EYE

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 PARTS OF THE EYE
SCLERA
• white of the eye
• tough + non-elastic
• supports + protects eyeball
• provides attachment for muscles
CORNEA
• transparent bulge over pupil
• focuses light (refracts) onto retina
• most refraction happens here
IRIS
• coloured part of eye
• controls amount of light entering the pupil
PUPIL
• black hole in iris
• size of hole controlled by iris
• where light enters eye

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Explain how the sclera is adapted for its functions.

The sclera is tough and non-elastic, (cause)

thus protecting the inner parts of the eye.
(effect)
The sclera is the outer most layer (cause)
therefore it is able to protect the inner parts
of the eye (effect).

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 Lens
• Flexible disc of transparent cells
• Converging (convex) lens
• Ciliary muscles and suspensory ligaments
increase/decrease the tension on the lens
• which change shape of lens and it becomes
more or less convex and allows us to see
objects near and far

Aqueous humor:
Clear watery fluid between cornea and vitreous.
Provides lens and cornea with nutrients
Convex lens causes upside image
on retina:

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 Choroid
• Vascular layer of the
eye
• Provides nutrients and
oxygen to retina
• Maintains temperature
and volume of the eye
• Dark melanin pigment
in choroid absorbs light
and limits reflection of
light in eye which
would distort vision

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 Vitreous Interesting facts of the effect of
aging on the vitreous humor:
humor
• Maintain the
shape of the eye
• Absorbs shocks
to the eye
• Keeps retina
properly
connected to
back wall of eye

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Retina • Internal membrane of eye
• Contain light-receptive
cells (rods & cones)
• Converts light stimulus to
electrical impulse
• Cones for colour
• Rods for seeing in dim
light
• Fovea centralis central pit
in Macula lutea contains
tightly packed cones.
Point of sharpest vision
• Blind spot- no rods or
cones where the optic
nerve enters eye 16
Light receptor cells: Rods and cones
rod

cone
OPTIC NERVE
• Transmits electrical
impulses from retina to
the cerebrum
• Creates blind spot
• Cerebrum takes inverted
image and flips it so we
see image
upright
 Blind Spot
• On retina where the
optic nerve leads back
into the brain
• No rod or cone cells
occur
• Other eye compensates
for this area
 Diagnostic report 2021

• Some candidates confused the Choroid in the eye with the Chorion in the developing
foetus, and Circular muscles with Ciliary muscles.

• Candidates needed to state why the yellow spot had the clearest image. It must be
noted that the yellow spot consists of cones only and therefore has the highest
concentration of cones. There are no rods in the yellow spot. If the candidates
answered rods and cones are in the highest concentration they were not awarded a
mark. Photoreceptors were also not accepted as an alternative for cones as it implies
both rods and cones.

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 Diagnostic report 2021

• Part B/sclera is opaque/does not allow light to pass through/ white

• part F/lens is transparent/allows light to pass into the eye
OR
• Part B/sclera is non-elastic/maintains the shape of the eye
• part F/lens is elastic/able to change its shape

Some candidates wrote a comparison of the functions of parts B (sclera) and F (lens),
rather than a comparison of the structure. Candidates also lost marks as their
comparisons did not refer to the same structural feature. If a candidate stated that B is
inelastic then they should state that F is elastic. If they wrote B is elastic and F is
transparent the two statements did not compare the same feature.
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 Diagnostic report 2021

- The lenses in the spectacles will refract the light rays more
- The lens of the eye also refracts the light rays
- The light rays will therefore be focused in front of the retina
Q2.2.6 was a higher-order question which, as expected, was poorly answered.
Candidates understood that light focussed in front of the retina but failed to explain why
this was so. They needed to state that both the spectacles and the lens were refracting
the light inwards/converging. No marks were credited for refracting light
outwards/diverging.

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ACTIVITY 3.1
Use this diagram with your learners as
homework

• Label the parts

of the eye in
blue and add
the functions of
each part in red
Diagram available in Mind the Gap page 127.

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 The path of light through the eye
Light rays pass through
• Cornea (where most
refraction/breaking of light takes
place)
• Pupil
• Aqueous humor
• Lens (light is refracted)
• Vitreous humor
Light strikes retina (inverted image is
formed)
Stimulating rods and cones, the
stimulus is converted in an impulse and
transported to the cerebrum via the
optical nerve

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Activity 3.2
Watch the video clip on sheep eye dissection

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 Unit 2:Binocular vision

What it is
• Refers to the ability to focus on an object with both eyes, creating a single
image
• During binocular vision the three pairs of muscles on the outside of each eye
enable the eye to see three dimensionally.
Significance
Depth of perception enables us to walk up/ down stairs.
It gives a wider field of view
gives precise depth perception
Binocular vision helps with performance skills such as catching, grasping, and
locomotion.

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 Activity 3.3
Depth perception is the ability to judge objects that are
nearer or farther than others.
 To demonstrate the difference of using one vs. two eyes
to judge depth, hold the ends of a pencil, one in each
hand.

 Hold them either vertically or horizontally facing each

other at arms-length from your body.

 With one eye closed, try to touch the end of the pencils
together.

 Now try with two eyes: it should be much easier. This is

because each eye looks at the image from a different
angle.

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Unit 3: Accommodation
• Accommodation is the focusing of
light on the retina.
• Mammals focus by changing the
shape of the lens.
• The lens is less convex for distant
objects.
• The lens is more convex for near
objects.
 Accommodation
• Near vision
• When an object is less than 6 m away.
• the ciliary muscles contract
• the sclera is pulled forward
• the suspensory ligaments slacken
(loosen)
• the tension on the lens decreases
• the lens becomes more convex
• the refractive power of the lens
increases
• a clear image is formed on the
retina
CC-SS-TD-LM
 Far vision
 When an object is 6m away and more
 Ciliary muscles relax
 Sclera goes back to normal position
 Suspensory ligaments become taut
(tight)
 Tension on the lens increases
 The lens becomes less convex
 The refractive power of the lens
decreases
 The clear image is formed on the
retina
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 Diagnostic report 2021
• Labelling of diagrams and functions of parts,
the pupillary mechanism are recall questions.
This type of question should be practiced
regularly in class through daily testing to
ensure that learners do not lose marks from
level 1 questions.

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Pupillary reflex
PUPILLARY MECHANISM
• In bright light
• The circular muscles of the iris
contract
• The radial muscles relax
• The pupil constricts
• The amount of light entering
the eye is reduced

• In dim light
• The radial muscles of the iris contracts
BCCRR
• The circular muscles relax
• The pupil dilates
• The amount of light entering the eye is
increased.
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Please refer to this diagram in Mind the Gap p 128 and
use it with your learners in class. Let them annotate
the diagrams to describe the two processes taking
place in the eye

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Activity 3.4

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 Answers

1. a) A Refraction of light or focus light rays on retina

b) C converts light stimuli to impulses or forms images

2.
a) The pupil can dilate more
To allow more light to enter the eye

b) The retina has more rods

Enable them to see in dim light

3. The radial muscles of the iris relax

Circular muscles of the iris contract
The pupil constricts
Less light enters the pupil

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Unit 4: Defects of the eye
 Short sightedness/ Myopia
• Problem seeing
objects far away
• Distance between
lens and retina too
large or eye ball is
too long
• Light focused in front
of retina
• Correct with
diverging lenses
Short Sighted (Myopia)
Use a concave lens to correct the
problem and focus the image on the
retina

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 Long sightedness or Hyperopia
• Problem seeing
close objects

• Distance between
lens and retina too
small or the eye ball
too short

• Light focused
behind retina
• Harder for people to read
as they age
• Lens loses elasticity
cannot become convex
enough
• Corrected by glasses with
converging/ convex
lenses
Long sightedness or Hyperopia

Use a convex/biconvex lens

to correct the problem

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 ASTIGMATISM
• Eye cannot focus an
object’s image on a single
point on retina
• Cornea is oval instead of
spherical or curvature of
lens or cornea is irregular
• Causes blurred vision
• Some types can be
corrected with lenses
Diseases of the Eye
CATARACTS

• Clouding forms in the lens

due to denaturing of lens
protein
• Obstructs passage of light
• Caused by age, chronic
exposure to UV, or due to
trauma
• Removed by surgery
Activity 3.5

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 Answers
2.2 Long sightedness(hyperopia or far sightedness was not accepted
as it was not stated as such in the table)

2.3 a) the lens becomes opaque/milky/cloudy and therefore does

not allow the light to pass through
b) Surgery
2.4
• The lens is less convex/ the eye ball is too short/
cornea is flat
• This causes the light rays to fall behind the retina
• A biconvex lens increases the refractive power
• Light rays are focused on the retina to from a clear
picture
2.5 Astigmatism 
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 KEY POINTS FOR THE MODULE
• The eye can’t be studied without diagrams.
• Structure and function is NB.
• Accommodation and the pupillary mechanism
are asked every year.
• Let the weaker learners only learn
accommodation for short vision –
accommodation for long vision is just the
opposite.

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