Structure Of The Eye

Functions Of The Eye

Made of many working parts, the human eye functions much like a digital camera. Here’s how it
works.

1. Light enters the eye through the cornea, the clear front surface of the eye, which acts like
a camera lens.
2. The iris works much like the diaphragm of a camera--controlling how much light reaches
the back of the eye. It does this by automatically adjusting the size of the pupil which, in
this scenario, functions like a camera's aperture.
3. The eye’s crystalline lens sits just behind the pupil and acts like autofocus camera lens,
focusing on close and approaching objects.
4. Focused by the cornea and the crystalline lens, the light makes its way to the retina. This
is the light-sensitive lining in the back of the eye. Think of the retina as the electronic
image sensor of a digital camera. Its job is to convert images into electronic signals and
send them to the optic nerve.
5. The optic nerve then transmits these signals to the visual cortex of the brain which creates
our sense of sight
 Diseases

Age-related macular degeneration

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the physical disturbance of the center of the retina
called the macula. The macula is the part of the eye responsible for our most acute vision,
which we use when reading, driving, and performing other activities that require fine, sharp,
or straight-ahead vision. Typically, changes in the macula from AMD are gradual, but in some
cases, vision loss is faster and more noticeable.
Cataract
The eye's natural crystalline lens helps us focus on people and things at varying distances.
Unfortunately, as we grow older this lens often stiffens and hardens, and without its youthful
suppleness it loses its ability to focus, creating vision problems. This condition — for most, a
natural consequence of aging — is called presbyopia.
As we age, these changes occurring to the natural crystalline lens can lead to the development of
cataracts, or a loss in clarity of the lens. Since the lens is no longer as flexible or as clear as it
used to be, the eye can't focus light properly.
 Glaucoma

Glaucoma occurs when a build-up of fluid creates pressure in the eye, which then damages the
optic nerve. The optic nerve is responsible for the transmission of information from your eyes to
your brain, and damage associated with it can lead to severe vision loss, and in the worst case,
blindness.