Anatomy of the Eye

Presenter: Elesia Powell-Williams

Moderator: Dr. Ifill
Order of presentation
• Eyelids
• Extra-ocular muscles
• The globe
The eyelids
Eyelids
Structure
• Surface markings:
• Upper lid: extend to eyebrow, down to superior palpebral fissure
• Lower lid: extends from just below inferior orbital rim, up to
inferior palpebral fissure
• Exterior surface covered by skin
• Upper lid innervation: lacrimal, supraorbital, supratrochlear,
infratrochlear nerves (Ophthalmic br. of Trigeminal N)
• Lower lid innervation: infraorbital nerve (Maxillary br.)
• Blood supply: medial and lateral palpebral branches of
ophthalmic artery, forming arcades in each lid
• Venous drainage: ophthalmic and angular veins
• Lymphatic drainage: lateral 2/3 to preauricular nodes; medial
1/3 to submandibular nodes
Eyelids
• Structure
• Skin continuous with the palpebral fissures, where
the lashes are inserted
• Sebaceous glands open into the hair follicles
• BETWEEN the above glands are modified sweat
glands…glands of Zeis. Infection of these cause
hordeolum
 Eyelids
• Structure
• Deep to skin is areolar tissue, then the
orbicularis oculi
• Function: tight closure of eyelids (orbital part);
blinking and voluntary winking (palpebral part)
• Innervation: temporal and zygomatic branches of
facial nerve
• Blood supply: 1. Zygomatico-orbital artery
(branch of superficial temporal, which is from
external carotid). 2. Angular artery (terminal
branch of facial artery, also from ECA). 3.
Lacrimal and supraorbital arteries (branches of
ophthalmic artery, which is from internal carotid)
eyelids
• Structure
• Deep to muscle is fibrous
support structure: tarsal plate,
which is the thickened end of the
orbital septum, which is turn is
a continuation of the orbital
periosteum.
• Orbital septum separates
superficial structures from
orbital tissue and acts as a
barrier from deep (orbital
cellulitis) spread of superficial
(preseptal aka periorbital
cellulitis) infection
eyelids
• Other structures
• Meibomian glands, within tarsal plate.
Specialized sebaceous glands; oily
substance secreted to delay tear
evaporation. Open at lid margin. Blockage
causes chalazion
• Tendon of levator palpebrae superioris.
Inserts into superior tarsal plate
• Müller muscle. Inserts into superior tarsal
plate. Aids lid elevation
• Palpebral conjunctiva Everted eyelids showing
different patterns of
Meibomian glands
Extrao-ocular
muscles
Extra-ocular muscles
The 4 recti take origin from the common tendinous ring at the superior
orbital fissure; the 2 obliques from the bony walls of the orbit

RIGHT EYE
Extra-ocular muscles
Extra-ocular muscles

Superior rectus Upward and inward

Inferior oblique Upward and outward
Superior rectus + Inferior oblique Straight up

Inferior rectus Downward and inward

Superior oblique Downward and outward
Inferior rectus + Superior oblique Straight down

Lateral rectus Lateral

Medial rectus Medial
Extra-ocular muscles
Body of
sphenoid
Eyeball
Eyeball
• Divides into 3 coats: fibrous, vascular, nervous
• Fibrous
• Vascular
• Nervous

Covered by a sheath Tenon’s capsule, that separates it from the orbital

fat. Anteriorly, it’s attached to the sclera, just behind the limbus;
posteriorly fuses with the sclera and dura of optic nerve
Eyeball
fibrous coat
• Sclera
• Opaque, white
• Insertion site of the 4 recti muscles. Pierced by ciliary nerves and arteries
• Thickest posteriorly except the weakest point where the optic nerve enters at the
lamina cribrosa
• Dura mater of optic nerve blends with sclera
• Superficially connected to bulbar conjunctiva by loose connective tissue that’s
vascular. The rest of the scleral is fairly avascular
• Just posterior to the limbus is the canal of Schlemm, which is a circular canal. It
drains aqueous humour into anterior scleral veins
• Posterior to the canal is the scleral spur, a projection to which the ciliary muscle is
inserted
Eyeball
fibrous coat
Eyeball
fibrous coat
• Cornea
• Continuous with the sclera at the corneoscleral junction aka limbus. The limbus
is the weak point for the occurrence of globe rupture
• Avascular; transparent
• At the limbus, conjunctival epithelium is continuous with corneal epithelium as
stratified squamous non-keratinized
• Bowman’s membrane separates corneal stroma from conjunctiva
• Descemet’s membrane is basement membrane of corneal stroma. It’s the
innermost surface of cornea
• Innervated by short (mainly) and long ciliary nerves
• Nutrients and oxygen obtained via absorption from tears and aqueous humour; as
well as neutrophins from the supplying nerves
Eyeball
fibrous coat
Eyeball
vascular coat
• Also known as the uveal
tract
• Deep to sclera
• Composed of choroid, ciliary
body, iris
 Eyeball
vascular coat
• Choroid
• Expansion of arachnoid and pia mater
• Attached superiorly to the inner surface of sclera, only separated by
suprachoroid lamina
• Attached inferiorly to the retina, providing nutrients for rods and cones
• Merges anteriorly with the ciliary body
 Eyeball
vascular coat
• Ciliary body
• Continuous posteriorly with the choroid (at the ora
serrata)
• Continuous anteriorly with the iris.
• Contacts inner surface of sclera superiorly and
vitreous humour inferiorly
• Scleral surface has the ciliary muscle
• Ciliary muscle: contraction allows bulging of lens
for near-vision, via Edinger-Westphal fibres
through short ciliary nerves)
• Vitreal surface exists in 2 layers: outer pigmented and
inner non-pigmented, which are the pigmented and
insensitive continuations from of retina, respectively;
it is plicated with the ciliary processes (makes
aqueous humour)
Eyeball
vascular coat
• Iris
• Peripherally attached to the middle of the anterior
surface of the ciliary body
• Pupil located centrally
• Contains vascular connective tissue with
melanocytes
• Circular band of muscle: sphincter pupillae.
Supplied by Edinger-Westphal nucleus for
constriction
• Radial sheet of muscle, dilator pupillae, from
ciliary body to sphincter pupillae. Supplied by
sympathetics whose preganglionic fibres are at T1
Eyeball
nervous coat
• This is the retina
• Outer surface in contact with choroid; inner
surface with vitreous body
• Light-sensitive part ends at ora serrata.
Further forward the insensitive nervous
layer is continuous with the inner surface
epithelia of the ciliary body and iris
• Pierced posteriorly by the optic nerve. At
the center of this piercing is a pale part, the
optic disc, which is partly excavated as the
optic cup
Eyeball
nervous coat
• 3mm lateral to optic disc is the macula, with the central fovea⸺ the area of
highest acuity that contains only cones. This macula is avascular
• Layers of retina:
• 1. Pigment epithelium
• 2. Rods and cones (processes)
• 3. External limiting lamina
• 4. Outer nuclear layer (rod and cone cell bodies with their nuclei)
• 5. Outer plexiform layer
• 6. Inner nuclear layer (bipolar cells)
• 7. Inner plexiform layer
• 8. Ganglion cell layer
• 9. Nerve fibre layer (axons of ganglion cells which pass into the optic nerve at the disc)
• 10. Inner limiting lamina.
Eyeball
nervous coat
Eyeball
chambers

• Aqueous area
• Vitreous area
Eyeball
chambers

Aqueous chamber
•Divided into anterior and posterior chambers by the iris
•Anterior chamber: bound by cornea in front and iris behind
•Posterior chamber: bound by iris in front and lens with suspensory ligaments
(zonulae) behind
•Ciliary processes produce aqueous humour, passes into posterior chamber then into
the anterior chamber via the pupil
•Aqueous humour leaves through canal of Schlemm located at the iridocorneal angle,
after passing through trabecular meshwork. 5-15% leaves via uvuloscleral outflow
•Uvuloscleral flow: anterior chamber  ciliary muscle  supraciliary and
suprachoroid spaces  through sclera and its penetrating vessels
Eyeball
chambers
Eyeball
chambers

Lens
• Transparent, biconvex. Enclosed by an
elastic capsule
• Refracts light entering eye. Changes
shape, as part of the accommodation-
constriction reflex, for near vision
• Epithelium of simple cuboidal cells
located just below capsule, anteriorly
only. These thin into fibres at the
periphery, making the bulk of the lens
Eyeball
chambers

Vitreous chamber
• Colourless, jelly-like. 99% water with few cellular and fibrous
contents. Avascular
• Traversed on its surface by the hyaloid canal which had the hyoidal
artery in fetal life. This has no function in the adult
• Attached to the optic disc at back; ora serrata at front; retina in
between
• Indented anteriorly by the convexity of the lens
Eyeball
chambers
pearls
Pupillary light reflex
Light converted to electrical signal by retina  travels through optic
nerve: nasal fibres cross at the optic chiasma; temporal fibres remain
ipsilateral  fibres travel in optic tract to brachium of superior
colliculus  pretectal area in mid-brain  signals Edinger-Westphal
nucleus bilaterally efferent parasympathetic fibres travel via both
CN3 synapses on ciliary ganglia in both eyes  postganglionic
signal to sphincter pupillae  pupil constriction bilaterally
pearls
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RAPD……..see link below

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3588138/
END
reference
• Last’s Anatomy 12th Ed.