Med terms - eyes and ears

Oculus/ plural - oculi

eye

The Joint Commision

the largest American standards-setting and accrediting body in health care

Adnexa of the eyes/adnexa oculi

are the structures outside the eyeball. These include the orbit, eye muscles, eyelids, eyelashes, conjunctiva, and lacrimal apparatus

Adnexa

means the accessory or adjoining anatomical parts of an organ. The term adnexa is plural.

orbit/eye socket

the bony cavity of the skull that contains and protects the eyeball and its associated muscles, blood vessels, and nerves.

eye muscles

six major ones, make eyemovement possible

oblique

describes an angle that is slanted but is not perpendicular or parallel

rectus

straight

Binocular Vision

occurs when the muscles of both eyes work together in coordination to make normal depth perception possible

bin-

two

ocul

eye

depth perception

ability to see things in three dimensions

upper and lower eyelids, together with the eyebrows and eyelashes

help protect the eyeball from foreign matter, excessive light, and injuries due to other causes

Canthus

the angle where the upper and lower eyelids meet

canth

corner of the eye

Cilia

are small hairs, make up the eyebrows and eyelashes. Also present in the nose to prevent foreign matter from being inhaled.

Tarsus/tarsal plate

is the framework within the upper and lower eyelids that provides the necessary stiffness and shape, also refers to the cluster of bones in feet

tars

edge of eyelid

Conjunctiva

is the transparent mucous membrane that lines the underside of each eyelid and continues to form a protective covering over the exposed surface of the eyeball. The plural of conjunctiva is conjunctivae

Lacrimal apparatus/tear apparatus

consists of structures that produce, store, and remove tears.

Lacrimal glands

which secrete lacrimal fluid (tears), are located on the underside of the upper eyelid just above the outer corner of each eye

lacrimal fluid/tears

is to maintain moisture on the anterior surface of the eyeball. Blinking distributes the lacrimal fluid across the eye.

lacrimal canal

consists of a duct at the inner corner of each eye. These ducts collect tears and empty them into the lacrimal sacs. Crying is the overflowing of tears from the lacrimal canals.

lacrimal sac/tear sac

enlargement of the upper portion of the lacrimal duct

lacrimal duct/nasolacrimal duct

passageway that drains excess tears into the nose

eyeball/globe

is a 1-inch sphere with only about one-sixth of its surface visible

Optic

pertaining to the eye or sight

opt

vision

ocular

pertaining to the eye

extraocular

outside the eyeball

extra-

on the outside

intraocular

within the eyeball

sclera/white of the eye

layer of eyeball- maintains the shape of the eye and protects the delicate inner layers of tissue. This tough, fibrous tissue forms the outer layer of the eye, except for the part covered by the cornea

scler/o

white of the eye (also means hard)

choroid/choroid coat

layer of eye- is the opaque middle layer of the eyeball that contains many blood vessels and provides the blood supply for the entire eye

opaque

the light cannot pass through this substance

Retina

layer of eye- is the sensitive innermost layer that lines the posterior segment of the eye. The retina receives nerve impulses and transmits them to the brain via the optic nerve.

Optic nerve/second cranial nerve

signals are transmitted from retina to the brain through this nerve

Aqueous humor/aqueous fluid

fills both anterior and posterior chambers, helps the eye maintain its shape and nourishes the intraocular structures.

trabecular meshwork/ canal of Schlemm

where aqueous fluid is filtered and drained through

aqueous

watery or containing water

humor

describes any clear body liquid or semifluid substance

intraocular pressure

is a measurement of the fluid pressure inside the eye. This pressure is regulated by the rate at which aqueous humor enters and leaves the eye.

posterior segment

makes up the remaining two-thirds of the eyeball, is lined with the retina and filled with vitreous humor

vitreous humor/vitreous gel

this is a soft, clear, jelly-like mass that contains millions of fine fibers. These fibers, which are attached to the surface of the retina, help the eye maintain its shape

rods and cones

of the retina receive images that have passed through the lens of the eye. These images are converted into nerve impulses and transmitted to the brain via the optic nerve.

rods

black and white receptors

cones

color receptors

macula/macula lutea

is the clearly defined light-sensitive area in the center of the retina that is responsible for sharp central vision. Note that the term macula means a small spot. A macula, also known as a macule, can also refer to a small, discolored spot on the skin, such as a freckle

fovea centralis

is a pit in the middle of the macula. Color vision is best in this area because it contains a high concentration of cones and no rods.

optic disk/blind spot

small region in the eye where the nerve endings of the retina enter the optic nerve. This is called the blind spot, because it does not contain any rods or cones to convert images into nerve impulses.

optic nerve

transmits these nerve impulses from the retina to the brain

Uvea

pigmented layer of the eye. Has a rich blood supply and consists of the choroid, ciliary body, and iris.

Ciliary body

located in the choroid, a set of muscles and suspensory ligaments that adjust the thickness of the lens to refine the focus of light rays on the retina. Produces aqueous humor that fills the anterior segment of the eye. To focus on nearby objects, these muscles adjust the lens to make it thicker. To focus on distant objects, these muscles stretch the lens, so it is thinner.

Iris

Colorful circular structure that surrounds the pupil. Muscles within iris control the amount of light that is allowed to enter eye through pupil. To decrease the amount of light entering the eye, the muscles of the iris contract, making the opening of the pupil smaller. To increase the amount of light entering the eye, the muscles of the iris relax, or dilate, making the opening of the pupil larger.

cornea

transparent outer surface of the eye covering the iris and pupil. Primary structure focusing light rays entering the eye.

pupil

black circular opening in the center of the iris that permits light to enter the eye

lens

clear, flexible, curved structure that focuses images on the retina. The lens is contained within a clear capsule located behind the iris and pupil.

Accommodation

the process whereby the eyes make adjustments for seeing objects at various distances. These adjustments include contraction (narrowing) and dilation (widening) of the pupil, movement of the eyes, and changes in the shape of the lens.

Convergence

is the simultaneous inward movement of the eyes toward each other. This occurs in an effort to maintain single binocular vision as an object comes nearer.

emmetrophia

is the normal relationship between the refractive power of the eye and the shape of the eye that enables light rays to focus correctly on the retina

emmetr

proper measure

-opia

vision condition

refraction/refractive power

ability of the lens to bend light rays so they focus on the retina.

Visual acuity

ability to distinguish object details and shape at a distance

acuity

sharpness

ophthalmologist

is a physician who specializes in diagnosing and treating the full spectrum of diseases and disorders of the eyes, from vision correction to eye surgery

ophthalm

eye

optometrist

holds a doctor of optometry degree and provides primary eye care, including diagnosing eye diseases and conditions, and measuring the accuracy of vision to determine whether corrective lenses are needed

metrist

one who measures

certified paraoptometric

sometimes plays a support role to an optometrist

optician

health care practitioner who designs, fits, and dispenses lenses for vision correction.