The Eye Anatomy

Cornea

• Eye’s clear, protective OUTER LAYER covering pupil and iris → FRONT PART

  • Light enters the eye first through cornea

Pupil

• Small ADJUSTABLE Opening in the center of the eye that light passes

  • CONTROLS LIGHT → iris opens and closes pupil

Iris

• Ring of MUSCLE TISSUE that forms the coloured portion of eye → Controls the dilation of the pupil (expand and contract)

  • Controls size of pupil by opening and closing the pupil → DONT GET BLINDED

  • Responds to cognitive and emotional states

Lens

• Transparent fluid-filled structure BEHIND PUPIL that changes shape to focus light on back of eye

  • Accomodation: Lens changes curvature and thickness to focus image on retina

Retina

• Light Sensitive inner surface/ back of the eyeball, with RODS AND CONES and layers of NEURONS 

  • Begin the processing of visual information

Fovea

• Central FOCAL POINT in the retina → Area of greatest visual accuracy

  • Slightly above optic nerve → Eye’s cones cluster around fovea

Blindspot

• Optic Disk is the point where the optic nerve leaves the eye → No rods/ cones

  • No rods and cones create a blind spot because no receptor rods/ cones

Optic Nerve

• Comprised of the AXONS of the ganglion cells

  • Leaves through the back of the eye and carries neural impulses from the eye to the brain

  • Carries impulse to the thalamus and into the visual cortex of the occipital lobes 

Track Light From Eye to Brain

Cornea → Pupil → Lens → Retine → Rods and Rods → Ganglion Cells → Optic Nerve → Thalamus → Occipital Lobe → Visual Cortex

Diagram for Eye