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Diagnosis

How the Eye Works

 

 

The eye is like a camera. When you take a picture, the lens in the front of the camera allows light through and focuses that light on the film that covers the back inside wall of the camera. When the light hits the film, a picture is taken.

 

 

The eye works in much the same way. The front parts of the eye (the cornea, pupil, and lens) are clear and allow light to pass through. The light also passes through the large space in the center of the eye called the vitreous cavity. The vitreous cavity is filled with a clear, jelly-like substance called the vitreous or vitreous gel. The light is then focused on a thin layer of tissue called the retina, which covers and is attached to the back inside wall of the eye. The retina is like the film in a camera. It is the part of the eye that actually sees. When the focused light hits the retina the image is registered and then sent to the brain through the optic nerve. This is how we see.

The white protective, outer wall of the eye is called the sclera.