PHYSIOLOGY OF EYE
EYELIDS
• protect the eye from bright light and foreign objects
• protect the cornea from drying by blinking to spread the
tears over the eye surface, aids flow of tears out of the
lacrimal gland
• facilitates the drainage of tears into the nasolacrimal
system.
EYELASHES
Protect the eyes. Sebaceous glands at the base of each lash
are called glands of Zeis. These glands produce a lubricating
fluid. An inflamed gland causes a hordeolum.
Lacrimal Apparatus
• Secretions from the lacrimal gland contain lysozyme
• Tears form in the lacrimal glands, wash across the eye
and collect in the lacrimal lake
• Pass through the lacrimal punctae, lacrimal canaliculi,
lacrimal sac and nasolacrimal duct
CONJUCTIVA
• Transparent mucous membrane that covers the inner
surface of the eyelid and anterior surface of eyeball
• Richly innervated and highly sensitive to pain
• Very vascular  especially when the vessel are dilated
 conjuctiva heals more readily than the cornea when
injured
CORNEA
• The cornea is a transparent organ without any blood
vessels.
• Its primary function is refraction of light rays. The cornea
has a refractive power of about +45.00 diopters.
SCLERA
• The sclera is white in color. Its primary function is
protection of the eyeball.
• It connects to the cornea at the area called the limbus
and is pierced posteriorly by the optic nerve. It acts as the
insertion points for the six extraocular muscles.
CHOROID
• The choroid is located posterior to the ciliary body and
iris. It is attached firmly at the optic disc
• It is the most vascular portion and is drained by the
vortex veins.
CILIARY BODY
• The ciliary body is located near the base of the iris and
posterior to it. It is composes of blood vessels and the
ciliary muscle fibers.
• the ciliary muscle fibers  alter the shape of the
crystalline lens by suspensory ligaments called the
zonules of Zinn.
• It also produces aqueous humor.
IRIS
• The iris is the most anterior portion of the vascular layer.
It gives the eye its color (i.e. blue, brown or hazel).
• It consists of blood vessels, pigment and muscle tissue.
• The hole in the center is called the pupil.
• The pupil regulates the amount of light that enters the
eye. It is small in bright light (constricted) and large in dim
light (dilated)
Fluids in the eye
• Aqueous humor circulates within the eye
o diffuses through the walls of anterior chamber
o passes through canal of Schlemm
o re-enters circulation
• Vitreous humor fills the posterior cavity.
o Not recycled – permanent fluid
Regulation of the Amount of Light Entering the Eye
• The iris controls the amount of light entering the eye
cavities
• The contraction of radial or circular smooth muscles
located within the iris permit changes in the pupil
diameter
Lens
• Posterior to the cornea and forms anterior boundary of
posterior cavity
o Posterior cavity contains vitreous humor
• Lens helps focus
o Light is refracted as it passes through lens
o Accommodation is the process by which the lens
adjusts to focus images
o Normal visual is 6/6
Retina
• Retina contains rods and cones
o Cones densely packed at fovea (center of
the macula lutea)
• Retinal pathway
o Photoreceptors to bipolar cells to ganglion
cells, to the brain via the optic nerve
• Axons of ganglion cells converge
at blind spot (optic disc)
o Horizontal cells and amacrine cells modify
the signal passed along the retinal neurons
Retinal structure
-- outer layer: photoreceptors- rods and cones
-- middle layer: bipolar neurons
-- inner layer: ganglion cells Phototransduction – General

Retina
MACULA
• The macula is the optical center of the retina. It
appears redder in color when compared to the
orange appearance of a the other area of the retina.

FOVEA
The fovea is a depression located in the center of the macula.
It only has cones and is the area of best vision.

OPTIC DIC
The optic nerve head is the point of exit of the optic nerve.
Blind spot

Visual Physiology
Photoreceptor
• Rods – respond to almost any photon
• Cones – specific ranges of specificity

RODS
• Black and white vision
• Operate well in low level light – night vision
• Sensitive to brightness, darkness and movement
• Poor acuity (low sharpness and focus)
• Excellent for peripheral vision rather than direct
• 19x the number of cones

CONES
• Daytime and colour vision
• Excellent visual acuity – sharp and clean images
• Concentrated in the fovea
• Not useful at night – can’t discriminate colours
• Outnumbered by rods 19:1