BASIC ANATOMY &
PHYSIOLOGY OF THE EYE
Essam Osman, M.D.
Professor & Consultant ophthalmologist
Glaucoma unit
ANATOMY
EMBRYOLOGY OF THE EYE
This highly specialized sensory organ is derived from
neural ectoderm, mesoderm and surface ectoderm.
The eye is essentially an outgrowth from the brain
(neural ectoderm).
Started as Optic vesicle connected to the forebrain by
Optic stalk.
DEVELOPMENT OF THE EYE
AFTER BIRTH
At birth, the eye is relatively large in relation to the rest of the
body.
The eye reaches full size by the age of 8-13 years.
The lens continues to enlarge throughout the life.
The iris has a bluish color due to little or no pigment on the
anterior surface.
During early infant life, the cornea & sclera can be stretched
by raised IOP → enlargement of the eye.
Where is the eye located ?
THE ORBIT
As a socket, contains & protect the eye.
The weakest parts are the floor & the medial wall.
Seven bones contribute the bony orbit.
Surrounded by nasal sinuses.
Important openings are:
Optic foramen.
Superior orbital fissure.
Inferior orbital fissure.
THE EXTRAOCULAR MUSCLES
Four recti & two oblique
muscles.
All are supplied by
Oculomotor n. except
superior oblique
(Trochlear n.) & lateral
rectus (Abducent n.).
Innervation & action of eye muscles:
elevation
abduction adduction
midline
(lateral (medial
rotation) rotation)
depression
WHK CUHK 98
Innervation & action of eye muscles:
IO SR
midline
LR MR
(6 n.)
SO IR
(4 n.)
Hence for clinical test:
(Field of Action)
Direction to look
• SO Down and in
• IO Up and in
• SR Up +/- out
• IR Down +/- out
Globe Anatomy
Or limbus
CONJUNCTIVA
Three parts:
1. Bulbar conjunctiva.
2. Palpebral conjunctiva.
3. Forniceal conjunctiva.
The stroma (no adenoid
tissues until 3 months after
birth).
Follicles & Papillae.
Injection and chemosis.
Palpebral conjunctiva
THE EYE (GLOBE)
Two spheres with different radii:
- Cornea, window of the eye.
- Sclera, opaque shell.
*** The eye measures approximately 21-24 mm in all its main
diameters.
The coats of the eye
*** Three layers:
The outer: inelastic coat, transparent cornea and opaque
sclera.
The middle, vascular coat, The Uvea:
choroid, ciliary body and iris.
The inner: The Retina, extends forwards to within 6 mm of
the limbus.
Cornea
It has 5 layers.
500 -530 micron in thickness.
Transparent
① Avascular
② Regularly arranged collagen fibers.
The Chambers of The Eye
***Three optically clear spaces:
The anterior chamber, in front of the iris
The posterior chamber, immediately behind the iris. These two
chambers which communicate through the pupil are filled with
clear aqueous humour.
The vitreous cavity: filled by gel-like structure, The Vitreous.
ANTERIOR AND POSTERIOR SEGMENT
Iris & Pupil
The Lens
The crystalline lens is the only structure continuously growing
throughout the life.
Changeable refractive media.
Capsule, epithelium and lens fibers.
Congenital anomalies and effect of systemic diseases.
Cataract.
cataract
Retina and Vitreous
Vitreous attachment.
Optic nerve head, macula, fovea, retinal background,
Ora serrata, and retinal vasculature.
Effect of systemic diseases.
Retinal detachment.
Optic Nerve
contains around 1.2 million nerve
fibers, which are axons of the
retinal ganglion cells.
1 mm in the globe.
25 mm in the orbit.
9 mm in the optic canal.
16 mm in the cranial space
Partial decussation occurs and
about 53% of the fibers cross to
form the optic tracts.
The Visual Pathway
Visual Pathway: Three neurons
1. Bipolar cell, lies within the
retina.
2. Ganglion cell, synapse in
lateral geniculate body.
3. Third neuron terminates in
visual cortex.
THE LACRIMAL APPARATUS
THE LACRIMAL APPARATUS
Lacrimal gland secrets tears into the upper fornix of the
conjunctival sac which are spread over the surface of the cornea as
a tear film by blinking of the lids.
Tears accumulate at the inner canthus and drain into the lacrimal
sac via the puncta & canaliculi.
The sac is continuous inferiorly with the nasolacrimal duct which
opens into the nasal cavity just beneath the inferior turbinate.
Lacrimal Apparatus
Tear secretion.
Layers of precorneal tear film.
Drainage of tear.
Optics of the Eye
The eye is like a camera. Light must have a clearly
pathway to be clearly focused on the sensory
receptors of the retina, i.e., Clear cornea, anterior
chamber, lens and vitreous cavity.
The Refractive power of the eye is about 58 - 62
diopters.
Optics of the Eye (cont.)
The cornea is the major refracting element of the eye
with a power of approximately 40 diopters. If the
curvature is greater in one meridian than the other→
Astigmatism.
The refractive power of the lens is about 17-21
diopters at rest. Accommodation able to change the
power of the lens markedly depends on age.
The Intraocular Pressure
The pressure within the eye is maintained at a steady level by
continuous formation & drainage of aqueous.
Aqueous is secreted by the ciliary epithelium → posterior chamber
→ anterior chamber (through the pupil ) → drained through the
anterior chamber angle.
The intraocular pressure, (IOP), is normally 10 – 21 mmHg;
increased IOP ocular hypertension .
High IOP almost always due to an obstruction of aqueous outflow.
VISION
The retina:
- The central retina contains yellow pigment, Xanthophyll, the so
called macula lutea ( yellow spot).
- It is divided into retinal pigment epithelium & neurosensory
retina.
- Photoreceptors contains visual pigment which consists of a large
protein (opsin) attached to retinal (vitamin A aldehyde).
VISION (cont.)
Light splits the opsin from the retinal withinitiation of a graded
electrical potential → Transmitted through the visual
pathway to be processed in the visual cortex (occipital lobe)
→ vision sense.
Visual Pathway: Three neurons
1. Bipolar cell, lies within the retina.
2. Ganglion cell, synapse in lateral geniculate body.
3. Third neuron terminates in visual cortex.
Summery
The socket that contains the eye called -----
ORBIT
the orbit is formed by ………….. Bones.
Seven
The optic nerve pass through
Optic foramen or canal
Summery
The eye has ……….. Extraocular muscles
Six
……… Recti and ……… obliques.
4 2
All extraocular muscles are supplied by ……….except
Oculomotor nerve except SO4 and LR6
When we test a patient 4th nerve we should ask him to look …..
Down and in
Summery
The space that lies behind the cornea & in front of the iris
called………..
Anterior chamber.
The fluid that fills the chambers of the eye called……
Aqueous humors
The cavity that lies behind the lens called…….
Vitreous cavity
Summery
The main refractive structure in the eye is ….
The cornea
The second refractive structure in the that can change its power
The lens
The structure that determines the color of the eye is
The iris
when the lens get opacified this condition called
cataract
Summery
The central part of the retina called
The macula
The central part of the macula called
Fovea
The central part of the fovea called
foveola
Summery
The optic nerve lies in …… part of the retina
Nasal
The percentage of the decussating fibers is
53%
Thank you
