Eye Anatomy

Your eyes are among the most complex and amazing organs in your body. Within your eyes are intricate systems designed to take in light and electrical information and transform that information into solid, recognizable images. This process takes split seconds, and happens billions of time a day. In understanding the anatomy of the eye, you can learn how this process takes place.

The Eye

Your eye has several parts, each serving a unique purpose and working in tandem with the other parts to produce images. These parts and their functions are:

The cornea. The cornea is the outer layer of your eye, a thin lens which bends incoming light and focuses it at the back of the eye.
The iris. The iris is the circular muscle behind the cornea containing the pupil, and is responsible for expanding and contracting the pupil to determine how much light enters into the eye from the cornea.
The sclera. The white of the eye around the iris is called the sclera, and is responsible for connecting your eyeball to your cornea.
The anterior chamber. Between the cornea and the lens is the anterior chamber. This chamber holds the fluid that is responsible for carrying nutrients to these areas.
The Lens. After light has been observed by your cornea, and the proper amount let in by your iris, the lens bends lights further to clarify the light that will ultimately reach the retina.
The posterior chamber. Between the lens and the retina is the posterior chamber, which is filled with fluid that determines the eyes shape and size.
The retina. Your retina receives light information from the cornea and lens and converts it into electrical information.
The optic nerve. The optic nerve takes the newly transformed electrical information and transports it to the vision center in your brain where it is turned into images.

This delicate system must be working at its highest level to produce clear, recognizable images. Every day vision issues can interfere with the different parts of your eye making the identification of objects nearly impossible. Having your eyes checked yearly by an ophthalmologist can ensure that their amazing functions go on undisturbed for years to come.