Workbook Activity #22: Special Sense Organ: The Eye

General Objective
To know the main structural features of the eye and their major functions.
Specific Objectives
1. To know the microanatomy of the retina, and the structure of the cornea, iris, lens, and
ciliary body.
2. To know the cellular structure of the eyelid.

Learning Activities
Examine the following virtual slides, identify, draw and label the structures listed below and
note their function.

Tissue Structure Function Drawing

Eye Cornea The cornea's main function is light refraction

(anterior and focusing.
segment) Corneal The main function of the cornea is the
epithelium refraction of light and focusing.
(stratified Corneal epithelium acts as a barrier to
squamous) protect the cornea, resisting the free flow of
fluids from the tears, and prevents bacteria
Basement
from entering the epithelium and corneal
membrane
stroma.
Bowman’s layer is mainly composed of
(Bowman’s) collagen fibres and protects stroma.
Descemet's membrane serves as a
Basement basement membrane for corneal
membrane endothelial cells.
Corneum endothelium regulates solute and
(Descemet’s) fluid transport between the different layers
of the cornea and the aqueous humour.
Corneal The stroma of the cornea, It is the primary
endothelium refracting lens and, as such, must combine
(simple nearly perfect transmission of visible light
squamous) with precise shape in order to focus
incoming light.
Corneal The iris regulates light levels in the eye, and
stroma the sphincter pupillae constricts the pupil
(miosis).
The pigment has the obvious function of
Iris blocking light, so that only light entering the
pupil is focused through the lens onto the
retina.
Sphincter Schlemm's canal collects aqueous humor
pupillae m. from the anterior chamber of the eyeball and
transports it to the eyeball's veins.
Iridial The lens fibers are the bulk of the lens, and
epithelium the elasticity of the lens capsule produces
(pigmented) the accommodative change in shape of the
Iridial stroma young lens. As a result, age-related
changes in the capsule's properties may
 Canal of influence the capsule's ability to mold the
Schlemm lens.
The zonular fibers alter the focusing power
Lens fibres
of the eye by changing the tension of the
(inside the
fibers through ciliary muscle contraction and
lens)
relaxation.
Lens capsule The ciliary body regulates the shape of the
lens, as does the ciliary epithelium, which
Zonule generates aqueous humor.
ligaments
attach to lens
Ciliary body

Question: What causes opaqueness in the lens (cataracts)?

A cataract is a common condition in which an otherwise clear eye lens becomes cloudy, resulting in
blurry vision similar to looking through a foggy window. A cataract develops when there is an
accumulation of proteins in the lens, resulting in protein clumps. These clumps, or deposits, prevent
light from passing clearly through the lens, causing normal vision to be disrupted.

Tissue Structure Function Drawing

Eye Sclera The primary function of the sclera is to

(posterior provide mechanical support to the
Melanocytes
segment) eyeball.
Ora serrata Melanocytes' primary function is to
(junction of produce melanin, the pigment
retina with ciliary responsible for skin and eye color.
body, area The ora serrata are in charge of filtering
where rods and the intensity of that light.
cones
The retina's purpose is to receive light
disappear)
that has been focused by the lens,
Retina convert the light into neural signals, and
send these signals to the brain for visual
Basement recognition.
membrane The Bruch membrane, in conjunction
(Bruch’s) with the RPE, serves as a barrier
Pigment between the retina and the choroid.
epithelium The pigment epithelium's obvious
Photoreceptors: function is to block light, so that only light
Rods and entering the pupil is focused through the
Cones lens onto the retina.
Outer nuclear Both of the eye's receptors contribute to
layer the information that the visual system
Outer uses to form the representation of the
plexiform visual world that is sight.
Inner nuclear The outer nuclear layer is the portion of
layer the eye that detects light.
Inner Bipolar cells make dendrite contacts with
plexiform rods and cones in the outer plexiform
layer, specifically the spherules of the
Ganglion cell
rods and the pedicles of the cones.
layer
The axons of bipolar cells connect with
Retinal blood
the dendrites of ganglion cells in the
vessels
inner plexiform layer, once again at
Nerve fibre
special synaptic regions. Retinal
layer
ganglion cells' primary function is to

1
 Optic nerve transmit visual information to the brain's
visual cortex.
Fovea centralis
The pericytes are thought to be
responsible for the retinal vessels, and
their role may thus be to regulate blood
flow.
The optic nerve's function is to transmit
visual information from the retina to the
brain's vision centers via electrical
impulses.
The fovea is a tiny pit in the macula of
the retina in the eye that provides the
clearest vision of all.
Neonatal Developing eye The cornea's primary function is light
head Eyelid still refraction and focusing, while the lens's
closed primary function is to focus light onto the
Cornea retina and to assist the eye in focusing
Lens on objects at various distances.
Retina The retina's purpose is to receive light
that has been focused by the lens,
convert the light into neural signals, and
send these signals to the brain for visual
recognition.

Eyelid The conjunctiva epithelium acts as a

Conjunctiva with physical barrier, and the conjunctiva's
Goblet cells goblet cells secrete mucin, which is part
of the tear film.
Skin surface
Protection is provided by stratified
(strat. squamous epithelium.
squamous)
The orbicularis oculi muscle's primary
Orbicularis oculi function is to close the eyelids.
skeletal muscle. The primary function of eyelashes is to
Eyelashes act as a barrier between the inside and
Tarsus plate outside of the eye.
The primary function of the tarsus plate
Tarsal is to elevate the upper eyelid during
(Meibomian) sympathetic predominance states such
gland as excitement, fear, or surprise.
Apocrine sweat The sebaceous glands of Zeis and the
glands (Moll) apocrine (sweat) glands of Moll produce
meibum, an oily substance that prevents
Sebaceous evaporation of the eye's tear film. These
glands (Zeis) glands' secretions protect the surface of
the eyelids.

Question: Describe the different types of photoreceptors and the function of each type.
 The retina's photoreceptors are divided into two groups based on their physical morphologies.
Rods are photoreceptors that are cylindrical in shape. Cones are conical shaped cells
capable of detecting a wide spectrum of light photons and are responsible for color vision.
Rod cells are highly sensitive to light and function in nightvision, whereas cones are conical
shaped cells capable of detecting a wide spectrum of light photons and are responsible for
color vision. Rods and cones are structurally separated.