Accommodation

Madiha Nazly
Optometrist/COAVS
Accommodation reflex of the eye
• Accommodation is the process by which the eye changes optical power to
maintain a clear image or focus on an object as its distance varies. In this,
distances vary for individuals from the far point—the maximum distance
from the eye for which a clear image of an object can be seen, to the near
point—the minimum distance for a clear image. Accommodation usually
acts like a reflex, including part of the accommodation-vergence reflex, but
it can also be consciously controlled.
• The young human eye can change focus from distance (infinity) to as near as
10.0to 6.5 cm from the eye.
• This process can occur in as little as 224 ± 30 milliseconds in bright light.
 Process of accommodation

• The process by which certain muscles (called ciliary muscles) function, to

change the focal length of the eyes so that the image is clearly formed on
the retina is called the accommodation of the eye. This will vary for near and
distant objects and also for objects moving away or towards the eye. By
adjusting the focal length, the eye is actually changing its lens power as well,
isn’t it? This is called the accommodating power of the eye. Literally. The
eye’s power to change its power.
 Try it

• You can actually put this power of your eye to test. Keep your finger in front of
you and try to focus only on the finger. You will notice that objects in the
background tend to get blurry. Now do the opposite. Keep your finger in front
of your face but focus on something in the background. What happens now?
Your finger is blurred.

• So how does this accommodating power work considering varying distances?

• If the object in consideration is at a distance, for the image to form at the retina, the
focal length has to be large. Here, the ciliary muscles relax, thereby thinning the eye
lens. The focal length increases and the image is formed perfectly on the retina.
Similarly, in the case of near lying objects, the ciliary muscles contract and thereby
thickening the lens. This causes a reduction in the focal length for ideal image
formation.

• The Power of accommodation for a person with normal eyesight is around 4 dioptre
 Accommodation and near reflex

• What is accommodation reflex or near reflex?