The eye


Overview

The eye is a complex organ that enables us to see the world around us. The general working principle of the eye is similar to a camera with film. Incoming light is first focused by the cornea and lens onto the retina (film), which is then converted into electrical signals to be sent to the brain for further processing via the optic nerve. The different structures in the eye can be broadly divided into the anterior (front of the eye) and posterior (back of the eye) segments.

This is a three dimensional illustration of the eye. The structures are listed from front to back. The anterior segment, highlighted in a blue box consists of the sclera, cornea, pupil, iris and lens. The posterior segment, highlighted by a green box consists of the retina, macula, optic disc and the optic nerve.
The different structures of the eye

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Anterior segment

The anterior segment of the eye mainly consists of the following structures:

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Posterior segment

The posterior segment of the eye mainly consists of the following structures:

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