 The eye is the photosensory organ of the body.

 It is composed of 3 tunicae (coats):

1. Fibrous coat (sclera

and cornea) forming
the tough outer coat.
2. Vascular coat
(choroid, ciliary body
and iris) forming the
pigmented and
vascular middle
layer.
3. Neural coat (retina),
forming the
innermost layer.
 Fibrous coat
 The fibrous coat is formed of:
 Cornea.
 Sclera.
 The sclera is the opaque, fibrous CT layer that covers the posterior 5/6 of
the eye ball, which receives insertions of extrinsic ocular muscles.
 The cornea is transparent, avascular and forms the anterior 1/6 of the eye
ball. It joins the sclera at the limbus which is highly vascularized.
 The cornea is avascular, it derived its nutrition from the aqueous humour
and the blood vessels of the surrounding limbus.
 Corneal epithelial cells divide repeatedly by mitotic division, but the
endothelial cells do not divide after birth (they are not replaced).

 The transparency of the cornea is due to:

1. Its uniform diameter.
2. Regular arrangement of the collagen fibers.
3. Properties of ground substance (matrix).
4. Absence of blood vessels.
 The cornea is composed of 5 layers:
 Corneal epithelium
○ Stratified squamous non-keratinized. About five-cells thickness.
○ The epithelium has many free nerve endings and is very sensitive to stimuli
specially pain.
 Bowman’s membrane
○ A thin membrane below the corneal epithelium, formed of type I collagen fibers
arranged in random fashion.
 Substantia propria
○ The thickest layer of the
cornea.
○ Composed of type I collagen
fibers and corneal cells
(modified fibroblasts).
○ The fibers are arranged in
lamellae which run parallel
to the corneal surface.
 Descemet’s membrane
○ It is basement membrane of
the corneal endothelium,
containing an atypical type
of collagen fibers which have
elastic character.
 Corneal endothelium
○ It is the innermost layer of
the cornea.
○ Composed of a single layer
of large squamous cells. Section in the cornea
Eyeball (anterior) – section – H&E – 4x objective

conjunctiva posterior
ciliary cavity
body

ciliary
processes

posterior
cornea chamber

iris

anterior lens
chamber
 Vascular coat (uvea)
A. Choroid:
 The choroid is the highly vascular, pigmented layer of the eye, its
loose CT contains many melanocytes.
 It is loosly attached to the tunica fibrosa.
 It has a deep choriocapillary layer and Bruch’s membrane (basement
membrane).
B. Ciliary body:
 It encircles the lens completely.
 Formed of C.T. , melanocytes , blood capillaries & ciliary muscles.
 Ciliary processes project from its medial side & are covered by 2 layers of
cubical epithelium:
- Outer pigmented:
- Inner non-pigmented: transports components from the plasma filtrate in
the posterior chamber and thus forms aqueous humor which flows to the
anterior chamber via the pupillary aperature.
- They also possess suspensory ligaments (zonule) that is inserted in the
capsule of the lens.
C. Iris
 The iris seperates the anterior and
posterior chambers.
 It is covered anteriorly by
endothelium lining the anterior
chamber & continuous with that on
the posterior aspect of cornea.
 Its wall composed of loose
vascular CT containing
melanocytes and fibroblasts.
 Muscle Layer (Constrictor &
dilator pupillae).
 Posterioly covered by pigmented
epithelium (2 layers of cubical
cells).
 Functions of Iris:
 Control size of pupil, amount of
light & depth of focus.
 Share in the formation of
aqueous humor from its
posterior surface (minimal).
 Color of the eye.
 Refractive Media of the Eye
 1- Cornea. 2- Aqueous humor.
 3- Lens. 4- Vitreous body.
Aqueous Humor
 It is a thin watery fluid present in the anterior and posterior chambers of the eye.
 FORMATION:
 By filtration from posterior surface of iris and ciliary processes.
 Active secretion by the epithelium of ciliary body.
 CIRCULATION AND ABSORPTION:
 Posterior chamber  anterior chamber  spaces of fontana  canal of Schlemm 
aqueous veins  venous circulation.
 Rate of production = rate of drainage, this keeps constant the IOP.
 If rate of production > rate of drainage will end in Glucoma.
VITREOUS BODY
 It is an avascular mass of gelled intercellular substance. It is traversed by the hyaloid canal,
which marks the position of hyaloid artery of the embryonic eye.
 The colloidal gel contains hyaluronic acid and a network of type Il collagen fibers.
 FUNCTION:
 Transmit light (one of the refractive media).
 Supports the lens anteriorly and the retina posteriorly.
 Helps in retinal metabolism, allowing transfer of materials from and to the retina.
 Lens
 It is a transparent, biconvex structure of epithelial origin. Nourished by
aqueous humor.
 It has neither blood nor nerve supply .
 It is suspended by the zonule of ciliary body behind the pupil.
[1] Capsule :
 It is thick lamina that covers the entire lens.
[2] Subcapsular Epithelium:
 A layer of cubical epithelium covering the anterior surface of lens only
(under the capsule).
[3] Lens fibers:
 They are elongated specialized epithelial cells filled with proteins that make
up most of the lens.
 They have no organelles or nuclei.
N.B.
 Lens is similar to cornea in
being avascular & transparent.
 Differs from cornea in
being formed of modified epithelial cells
& lacks C.T. component.
 Nervous Coat
 It is the innermost layer of the eye and is responsible for
photoreception.
 Anteriorly, it decreases in thickness and becomes continuous
with the ciliary body and called ora serrata.
 Posteriorly, it forms the optic disc, where the nerve fibers
merge to form the optic nerve.
 Fovea centralis: a shallow depression in its posterior wall that
contains only cones and exhibits the greatest visual acuity.

DEVELOPMENTALLY: the retina is formed of 2 layers of optic

cup.
1- The outer layer develops into the retinal pigmented epithelium.
2- The inner layer develops into the neural retina.
THE RETINA IS FORMED OF 10 LAYERS: FROM OUTER TO
INNER
Layers
Layers of
of retina
retina
1- THE PIGMENTED EPITHELIUM:
- It is a single layer of melanin-rich high cuboidal cells.
- Their outer (basal) border lies opposite to Bruch's membrane. Their inner
border sends microvilli, which extend to touch the tips of rods and cones.
FUNCTION:
1- The pigmented layer acts as a dark coat to absorb extra light from behind
rods and cones.
2- The cells phagocytose the old discs detached from the tips of rods and
cones and digest them by their lysosomes.
2- RODS AND CONES:
 Next to the epithelium lies a layer that contain the photosensitive portions
(i.e. the outer segment) of rods and cones.
3- THE OUTER LIMITING MEMBRANE:
 Is formed by the junctional complexes between the photoreceptors and
the processes of Muller's cells.
4- THE OUTER NUCLEAR LAYER:
 It contains densely packed cell bodies of the photoreceptors (1st order
5- THE OUTER PLEXIFORM LAYER:
 The synaptic bodies of the photoreceptors synapse with the dendrites of
the 2nd order neurons.
 The two types of neurons represented in this layer are:
 Bipolar cells.
 Horizontal cells.

6- THE INNER NUCLEAR LAVER:

 It contains the nuclei of bipolar cells (2nd order neuron) and the nuclei of
association neurons (horizontal cells, Amacrine cells and Muller's cells.)
7- THE INNER PLEXIFORM LAVER:
 This layer contains the synaptic contacts between the axons of bipolar cells and
the dendrites of the ganglion cells.
8- THE GANGLION CELL LAYER:
 It consists of the large nerve cells with vesicular nuclei (3rd order neuron).
9- LAYER OF OPTIC NERVE FIBERS:
 It contains the axons of ganglion cells. The fibers arise from the cell bodies and
emerge as the optic nerve . The fibers become myelinated as they pierce the
sclera.
10- THE INNER LIMITING MEMBRANE:
 It limits the retina from inside separating it from the vitreous body. It consists of
BLOOD RETINAL BARRIER:
 It prevents large molecules present in blood from passing to the tissue of the
retina:
1. The pigmented epithelial cells are connected by tight junction.
2. The blood capillaries are of the continuous type.
 Rods Cones
Number Approximately 120 million / retina Approximately 6 million / retina
(70 – 120) (6 – 7)
Long narrow cells with long cylindrical The structure of rods and cones is
Structure outer segment. The inner segment similar however cones are shorter with
contains mitochondria, glycogen, RER conical outer segment.
&Golgi complexes.
outer & inner segments are connected
together by a cilium

Membranous entirely separated from outer segment Are invaginations of outer segment plasma
disks plasma membrane membrane
Rhodopsin is formed in rod’s inner Iodopsin is evenly distributed in cones’
Visual pigment segment & collects on the outer surface outer segments and is most sensitive to red
of the stacked vesicles. It is bleached by light.
light.
Sensitive to light of low intensity (night Sensitive to light of high intensity(day
Sensitivity vision). Respond to slight differences in vision), permit greater visual acuity ,
light intensity and shades of gray. responsible for colour vision.

Concentrated in fovea centralis (macula

Location Concentrated peripherally lutea)
Rods & Cones
 Accessory structures of the eye
CONJUNCTIVA
 It is a thin transparent mucous membrane, which covers the white of
the eye as the bulbar conjunctiva and is reflected at the fornix to line
the inside of the lid as the palpebral conjunctiva. It is formed of:
 Epithelium:
○ Stratified columnar with microvilli and Goblet cells .
 The lamina propria:
○ It consists of delicate connective tissue containing capillaries
and accumulation of lymphocytes.
Eye Lids
 The eye lids are lined internally by conjunctiva and externally by
thin skin and covers a supportive framework of tarsal plates.
 They contain highly modified sebaceous gland (meibomian glands),
modified sebaceous gland (gland of Zeis) and sweat glands (glands
of Moll).
 MEDICAL APPLICATIONS
1. The shape or curvature of the cornea can be changed surgically to
improve certain visual abnormalities involving the ability to focus. In
the common ophthalmological procedure, laser-assisted in situ
keratomileusis (LASIK surgery), the corneal epithelium is displaced
as a flap and the stroma reshaped by laser which vaporizes collagen
and keratocytes. After reshaping the stroma, the epithelial flap is
repositioned and a relatively rapid regenerative response
reestablishes normal corneal physiology.

2. Head trauma may cause the two developmental layers of retina to

separate. In regions of detached retina the photoreceptor cells will
eventually die. Prompt repositioning of the retina with laser surgery is
an effective treatment.

3. Infections near an opening of the tarsal gland ducts are called styes.
4. A chalazion is a cyst in the eyelid that is caused by inflammation of a
blocked meibomian gland.