SPECIAL SENSE

12.2 Structure and Function of

Eye

EDITH BINTI NAANG

PENGAJAR U41
ILKKM KUALA PILAH (KEJURURAWATAN)
Learning Outcome

LO2 - Explain the

LO1 - Describe
functions of eyes
the structure of
and physiology
the eyes
of eyeball.
Question 1
1. The light when enters the human eye
experiences most of the refraction while
passing through
a. Cornea
b. Aqueous humour
c. Vitreous humour
d. Crystalline lens
Question 2

1. The human eye forms the image of an

object at its
a. lris
b. Cornea
c. Retina
d. Pupil
Answers

Question 1 Question 2
–A -C
 • Organ of sight.
• Situated in the orbital cavity and
supplied by the optic nerve (2nd
cranial nerve).
• It is almost spherical in shape and
Introduction about 2.5 cm in diameter.
• Space between the eye and the
orbital cavity is occupied by adipose
tissue.
• Bony walls of the orbit and the fat
help to protect the eye from injury.
Functions of eyes
•Provide living organisms with vision
•To receive and process visual detail
•Enabling several photo response functions that
are independent of vision.
•Detect light and convert it into electrochemical
impulses in neurons.
LO#1 Structure
of the eyes
LO#1 Structure of the eyes

Accessory Layers of Internal

Structure the structure
of Eye eyeballs of eyeballs
Accessory Structure of Eye
1.Eyelid
2.Eyelashes
3.Eyebrows
4.Lacrimal apparatus
5.Extrinsic eye muscles
1. Eyelids
•The eyelids (palpebrae) are
two movable folds of tissue
situated above and below
the front of each eye.

•On their free edges there

are short curved hairs, the
eyelashes.
1. Eyelids
Function :
•Protect the eye from excessive
light & foreign bodies- corneal
reflex
•Shade the eyes during sleep
•Spread lubricating secretions
over the eyeballs (blinking)
2.Eyelashes
•A double or triple row of hairs to
the free edges of the eyelids.

•Ciliary glands modified sweat

glands; open into the follicles of
the eyelashes to keep lubricated.
Tarsal (Meibomian) gland

Eyelashes
2.Eyelashes
•Meibomian (tarsal) glands :
sebaceous glands near the inner
margins of the eyelids;
•produce sebum - lubricates
the lids and restrains tears
from flowing over the margin
of the eyelids.
3.Eyebrows
•Two arched ridges of the
supraorbital margins of the
frontal bone.

•Numerous hairs (eyebrows)

project obliquely from the
surface of the skin.
3.Eyebrows

Function:
•Protect the eyeball from
sweat, dust and other
foreign bodies.
4.Lacrimal apparatusLacrimal sac nasolacrimal duct.
• The lacrimal glands are exocrine
glands

4. Lacrimal • Location : situated in recesses in

the frontal bones on the lateral
Apparatus aspect of each eye just behind
the supraorbital margin.

• Size : almond, and is composed

of secretory epithelial cells.
4.Lacrimal apparatus Function :
•Secrete tears

4. Lacrimal Composition of tears:

Apparatus •composed of water,
mineral salts,
antibodies
(immunoglobulin),
and lysozyme-
bactericidal enzyme.
Flow of Tears
Lacrimal gland

Lacrimal ducts

Superior or interior
lacrimal canal

Lacrimal sac

Nasolacrimal duct

Nasal cavity
5. Extrinsic eye
muscle
 extrinsic muscles of the eye Innervation

Superior oblique muscle trochlear nerve (IV).

lateral rectus muscle abducens nerve (VI)

oculomotor nerve (III)

5.Extrinsic
eye muscle
 UJI MINDA

1. Apakah fungsi medial

rectus muscle?
___________________
LO#1 Structure of the eyes

Accessory Layers of Internal

Structure the structure
of Eye eyeballs of eyeballs
Layers Of The Eyeballs
Layers of the eyeballs

Composed of three layers or tunics.

• The outer layer : fibrous tunic- sclera and cornea.

• The middle layer : vascular tunic -choroid, ciliary

body, and iris.

• The inner layer :nervous tunic and -retina.

1. Fibrous tunic
• The fibrous tunic - the outermost layer of the eye and
consists of the sclera and the cornea; it has three
main functions:
i. provides support and some protection;
ii. is the attachment site for the extrinsic muscles;
iii. contains structures that assist in the focusing
process.
Cornea
 1.1 Cornea (Clear lens infront of eye)
•Is an avascular, transparent covering of the front
the eye.

•Consists of a
•connective tissue matrix containing collagen,
elastic fibers, and proteoglycans,
•outer surface : stratified squamous epithelium
•inner surface : simple squamous epithelium
1.1 Cornea (Clear lens infront of eye)
Function:
• Allow the passage of light into the eyes and
function as a fixed lens.
• Focus light rays onto retina
• As light passes through the cornea, the light
bends, or refracts. Refraction of light is an
important part of focusing.
 1.2 Sclera (White part)
• Made up fibrous connective tissue containing collagen
and elastic fibres.
• The surface of the sclera contains small blood vessels
and nerves.
• Helps maintain the shape of
the eyeball, protects its
internal structures, and
provides an attachment
point for the muscles that
move it.
 1.2 Sclera (White part)
• Made up fibrous connective tissue containing collagen
and elastic fibres.
• The surface of the sclera contains small blood vessels
and nerves.
• Helps maintain the shape of
the eyeball, protects its
internal structures, and
provides an attachment
point for the muscles that
move it.
Conjuctiva
• Is a thin, transparent mucous
membrane associated with the
eyelids and the exposed areas
of the eye.

• Palpebral conjunctiva covers

the inner surface of the eyelids.

• Bulbar conjunctiva covers the anterior white surface of

the eye.
2. Vascular tunic
• Is the middle of the three layers of the eye.

• Made up of the iris, the ciliary body, and the

choroid.

• Contains numerous blood vessels, lymph vessels,

and the smooth muscles involved in eye functioning.
2. Vascular tunic
• The functions of this layer include:
i. Provides a structure for the blood and lymph
vessels ; supply the tissues of the eye;
ii. Regulating the amount of light enters the eye;
iii. Secreting & reabsorbing the aqueous humour;
iv. Controlling the shape of the lens.
2.1 Vascular tunic: Iris
• Formed by two layers of
pigmented cells and fibres, and
two layers of smooth muscle (the
pupillary muscles):
i. Pupillary constrictor
muscles
ii. Pupillary dilator muscles
2.1 Vascular tunic: Iris
Functions
•The central, colored portion
of the eye
•Regulates the amount of
light entering the eye by
adjusting the size of the
central opening (the pupil).
2.2 Vascular tunic: Ciliary body
• Made up of ciliary muscle, a
smooth muscular ring that
projects into the interior of
the eye.

• Epithelial covering of this

muscle has many folds -
Ciliary processes.
2.2 Vascular tunic: Ciliary body
Functions
• Capillaries secrete a fluid
called aqueous humor.

• Ciliary muscle, a smooth

muscle alters the shape of
the lens for viewing objects
up close or at a distance.
2.3 Vascular tunic: Choroid
•Separates the fibrous and
neural tunics.

•Covered by the sclera and

attached to the outermost
layer of the retina.
2.3 Vascular tunic: Choroid
Functions
•Contains an extensive
capillary network that
delivers oxygen and
nutrients to the retina.
2.4 Vascular tunic: Lens
•A transparent structure.
•Also called crystalline lens.
•Constructed by layers of
elastic protein fibers.
•Located behind the iris and in
front of the vitreous body.
2.4 Vascular tunic: Lens
Functions
• To transmit and focus the light onto
the retina- to create clear images of
observed objects at various distances.
• Main structure of accommodation
reflex. Reflex is activated when the eye
focuses on closer objects.
3. Neural tunic (retina)
• The third and inner coat of the eyeball. a thin layer of
tissue that lines the back of the eye on the inside.
• Located near the optic nerve.
• It has two layers: Neural layer and the pigmented layer.

• Functions: to receive light that the lens has focused,

convert the light into neural signals, and send these
signals on to the brain for visual recognition.
3. Neural tunic (retina)
i. Neural layer
• A multilayered outgrowth of the brain.
• Three distinct layers of retina neurons ; the
photoreceptor layer, the bipolar cell layer, and the
ganglion cell layer – separated by the outer and
inner synaptic layers, where synaptic contacts are
made.
3. Neural tunic (retina)
i. Pigmented layer
• Is a sheet of melanin-containing epithelial cells.
• Located between choroid and the neural part of
retina.
• Melanin in the pigmented layer of retina – helps to
absorb stray light rays.
3. Neural tunic (retina)
• Photoreceptors are specialized cells that begin the
process by which light rays converted to nerve
impulses.

Two types photoreceptors:

i. Rods : allow us to see shades of gray in dim light,
such as moon light.
ii. Cones: stimulate with bright light, giving rise to
highly acute color vision.
3. Neural tunic (retina)
• Three type cones present in the retina:
1. Blue cones – sensitive to blue light
2. Green cones – sensitive to green light
3. Red cones – sensitive to red light.

Color vision results from the stimulation of various

combinations of the three types of cones.
Fovea centralis
• Cones are densely concentrated in
the fovea centralis.
• The highest visual acuity or
resolution (sharpness of vision)
because of its high concentration
of cones.
• A small depression in the center of
the macula lutea, or yellow spot in
the center of the retina.
 Lens interior eyeball
Internal consist of two cavities;
structure of 1. Anterior cavity
the Eyeball
2. Vitreous chamber
Interior of the Eyeball

1. Anterior cavity
• Filled with aqueous humor; a water fluid similar to
cerebrospinal fluid.

• Blood capillaries in the ciliary body secrete aqueous

humor into the anterior cavity and drains into the
scleral venous sinus (canal of schlemm).
Interior of the Eyeball : Aqueous humor

Functions: Help maintain

the shape of the eye and
nourishes the lens and
cornea.
Interior of the Eyeball : Vitreous chamber

2. Vitreous chamber
•Contains a clear, jellylike substance called
vitreous body.

•Forms during embryonic life and not replaced

thereafter.
Interior of the Eyeball : Vitreous humour

Functions: Helps prevent

the eyeball from
collapsing and holds the
retina flush against the
choroid.
 TRUE OR FALSE
QUESTION
1. Fibrous tunic terdiri daripada
a. Retina ( )
b. Cornea ( )
c. Iris ( )
d. Sclera ( )
LO#1 Structure of the eyes
• Accessory Structure of Eye
1. Eyelid
2. Eyelashes
3. Eyebrows
4. Lacrimal apparatus
5. Extrinsic eye muscles
• Layers of the eyeballs – Composed of three layers of tunics
• Fibrous : kornea & sclera
• Vascular : ciliary body, iris, choroid
• Retina
• Internal structure of eyeballs
• Anterior cavity
• Vitreous chamber
LO#2 Physiology
of vision/image
formation
Physiology of vision/image formation
1. Refraction of lights
2. Accomodation
3. Constrictions
4. convergence
Formation of retinal image
• For a retinal image to form, light rays entering the eye
must be bent, or refracted, so they focus on the
retina.
• If the object being viewed is near rather than far away,
other eye adjustments are required. Specifically, the
eyes must converge on the object being viewed, the
pupils must constrict, and the lens must change its
curvature (accommodation).
Refraction of light
• Refraction Light rays entering the eye must be bent
so they focus precisely on the retina.
• Bending of light rays is called refraction. When light
rays strike a substance at an angle other than 90°—
such as when light rays strike the curved edge of the
cornea—the light rays bend.
Refraction of light
Light rays that strike the
center of the cornea pass
straight through, while
light rays that strike off-
center, where the cornea is
curved, are bent toward
the center.
Accommodation of the Lens
• While the cornea refracts most of the light rays
entering the eye, the lens fine-tunes the rays for
sharper focus.
• Specifically, the curvature of the lens changes to allow
the eye to focus on a near object, a process called
accommodation.
 Accommodation
• The nearly parallel light rays
from distant objects require
little refraction. Consequently,
the ciliary muscle encircling the
lens relaxes and the lens flattens
and thins.
• The more divergent light rays from a
nearby object require more refraction.
To help focus the light rays, the ciliary
muscle surrounding the lens contracts.
This narrows the lens, causing it to
bulge into a convex shape and thicken,
giving it more focusing power.
Constriction of the pupil
• Constriction of the Pupil The center of the cornea—
just like the center of any lens—can focus light rays
better than the periphery.
• To reduce blurriness when focusing on a nearby
object, the pupil constricts to screen out peripheral
light rays.
• The constriction and dilation of the pupil depends
upon muscles inside the iris; these are called the
intrinsic eye muscles.
Constriction of the • The pupillary constrictor muscle
pupil encircles the pupil. When stimulated
by the parasympathetic nervous
system, the muscle constricts,
narrowing the pupil to admit less
light.

• The pupillary dilator looks like the

spokes of a wheel. When stimulated
by the sympathetic nervous system,
this muscle contracts, pulling the
inside edge of the iris outward. This
widens the pupil and admits more
light.
Convergence
• Proper vision requires the
light rays from an object to
fall on the same area of each
retina.
• Convergence lines up the
visual axis of each eye toward
the object so that the light Light rays from distant objects are
rays fall on the corresponding almost parallel, meaning the eyes
spots on each retina. require little adjustment.
Convergence

Light rays from distant objects are Light waves from close objects diverge
almost parallel, meaning the eyes more. Therefore, the eyes must move
require little adjustment. inward, or converge, on the object to
align the visual axis with the light rays.
• f the eyes fail to converge, light rays from the object
will fall on different parts of each retina, resulting in
double vision (diplopia).

To see convergence in action, ask a friend to focus on

your finger as you bring it slowly toward his or her
nose; soon you’ll see the eyes converge on your finger.
Summary
Struture Location Functions
Fibrous tunic Cornea Admits and refracts (bend) light
Fibrous tunic Sclera Provides shape and protects inner parts
Vascular tunic Iris Regulates the amount of light that enters
eyeball.
Vascular tunic Ciliary body Secretes aqueous humor and alters the
shape of the lens for near or far vision
(accommodation).
Vascular tunic Choroid Provides blood supply and absorbs
scattered light.