The eyeball is formed of 3 layers:

1. Outer fibrous coat; cornea & sclera. 2. Middle vascular coat; choroid, ciliary body & iris. 3. Inner nervous coat; retina, pars ciliaris retinae &

pars iridica retinae

1- Fibrous coat:
y a- Cornea: y The cornea is the anterior transparent 1/6 of the

fibrous coat. y It is convex anteriorly. y It is thinner in the middle than in the periphery. y It is completely transparent as doesn t contain neither blood vessels nor lymphatics. y It contains blenty of nerve endings so it is one of the most sensitive parts in the body.

y b- Sclera y It constitutes the posterior 5/6 of the fibrous coat. y It is hard and tough so the name sclera. y Its outer surface is white smooth and glistening. y The inner surface is rough and brownish. This surface

is grooved by the ciliary nerves and vessels. y The sclera is separated from the choroid by the perichoroidal space.

*Structures piercing the sclera:

Optic nerve fibers (lamina cribrosa); it is sieve-like weakest part of the sclera. It contains a relatively large opening at its middle for CRA. 2. Ciliary vessels & nerves; around the lamina cribrosa. 3. Venae verticosae; midway between the optic nerve and corneoscleral junction
1.

* Structures attached to the sclera:

y The extraocular muscles

* Structures related to the sclera:

Conjunctiva. 2. Choroid. 3. Ciliary vessels & nerves.
1.

Corneoscleral junction:
y It is the circular region of connection between the

sclera and cornea. y It contains a circular canal; canal of Schlemm. y The inner aspect of the canal is formed of trabecular tissue through which the aqueous humour is drained from the anterior chamber.
y

2- vascular coat:
a- Choroid: y It constitutes the posterior 5/6 of the vascular coat. y Its outer surface is separated from the sclera by the perichoidal space that contains the ciliary vessels and nerves. y Its inner surface is firmly adherent to the retina.
y

y b- Ciliary body: y The ciliary body is the middle part of the vascular coat. y It is triangular in cross section. y It presents at the corneoscleral junction. y It contains the ciliary muscle. y The ciliary muscle; is the annular band of smooth

muscle fibers that is present inside the ciliary body. y The muscle is attached to the periphery of the lens via the suspensory ligament of the lens. y It has a parasympathetic supply from the ciliary ganglion

y c- Iris: y It is a soft tissue diaphragm in front of the lens. y The space between the cornea & iris is the anterior

y y

chamber, while the space between the lens & iris is the posterior chamber. It contains a central hole (eye pupil). The diameter of the eye pupil is controlled by the sphincter & dilator pupillae muscles that are present inside the iris. It also contains blood vessels and melanocytes and according to the amount of melanin, the color of the iris differs. The iris is the partition between the anterior chamber (in front of it) and the posterior chamber (behind it).

3- Nervous coat:
a- Retina: y It forms the greater part of the inner (nervous) coat of the eye. y It extends from the optic disc posteriorly to the ora serrata anteriorly. y At the ora serrata the retina forms 2 extensions; pars iridica retinae &pars ciliaris retinae. y The retina is limited externally by the choroid and internally by the hyloid membrane.

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y The retina shows the following features: y Optic disc (papilla); it is the blind spot of the eye as it is devoid of photoreceptors. It is the site where the axons of the ganglion cells leave the retina as the optic nerve. y Macula lutea; it is a yellowish oval spot. It is devoid of blood vessels. y Fovea centralis; it is the central depression on the macula. It contains only cones it is point where the acuity of vision is the greatest. y Central vessels of the retina; as the central artery of the retina enters into the retina, it divides into 2 equal branches, superior & inferior. Each one divides into nasal and temporal. Each of the 4 branches supply its relevant quadrant of the retina with neither overlap nor anastomosis. The veins follow the same pattern. y N.B. the optic disc is present medial to (on the nasal side of) macula lutea.

Lens:
y It is a biconvex transparent body that lies behind the

iris and eye pupil and in front of the vitreous body. y The lens is enclosed inside a transparent elastic capsule. y The lens is formed of soft cortex and firm medulla. y The lens is transparent, colorless and avascular. y The periphery of the lens is connected with the ciliary muscle through the zonule (suspensory ligament of the lens)

Vitreous body & aqueous humour

itreous body is the gelatinous material that fills the cavity of the eye ball behind the lens. y It contains a fossa that lodges the lens; hyaloid fossa. y The central part of it contains the hyaloid canal. y Aqueous humour is the fluid that fills both anterior and posterior chambers.
y

Blood Supply of the Eye ball

Fibrous coat: y Cornea; avascular, derives its nutrition from the capillaries of adjacent parts of the sclera and conjunctiva. y Sclera; it has a scanty arterial supply from ciliary arteries. Vascular coat: y Choroid; it is formed of the ciliary arteries. y Ciliary body; ciliary artreies. y Iris; by the circulus arteriosus major & minor formed of the branches of ciliary arteries. Nervous coat: y Central artery of the retina. y Small contribution by the branches of posterior ciliary arteries.