Special Senses - I

Histology of Eye

Structure of the Eye

Each eyeball is surrounded by three layers:
Sclera & Cornea - fibrous outside
layer

Choroid (Vascular layer) - middle

layer

Retina - innermost layer

Fibrous Layer - Sclera

The fibrous, external layer of the eyeball protects the more delicate internal structures and provides sites for muscle insertion. The opaque white posterior five-sixths of the external layer is the sclera Is relatively avascular Consists of
tough, dense connective tissue containing flat type I collagen bundles moderate amount of ground substance and scattered fibroblasts.

Tendons of the extraocular muscles that move the eyes insert into sclera. Posteriorly the sclera thickens to approximately 1 mm and joins with the epineurium covering the optic nerve.

Cornea
Anterior one-sixth of the eyethe corneais
colorless transparent completely avascular

Function to admit light to refract light

It is the primary site of refraction. Has five layers (three of which are cellular):
Corneal epithelium Anterior limiting (Bowman's) membrane Corneal stroma (substantia propria) Posterior limiting (Descemet's) membrane Endothelium
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Layers of Cornea
Corneal epithelium:
non-keratinized
stratified squamous epithelium exhibits constant repair

Anterior limiting (Bowman's) membrane:

layer of extracellular matrix between the epithelium and the stroma.
serves as a basement membrane for the corneal epithelium.

Corneal stroma (substantia propria):

contains fibroblasts called keratocytes and oriented bundles of collagen fibers

The orientation and spacing of the collagen fibers is critical for the transparency of the cornea.

Posterior limiting (Descemet's) membrane:

is a basement membrane for the endothelium.
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Endothelium:
single layer of squamous or cuboidal epithelial cells
line the surface of the cornea exposed to the anterior chamber The cells of the endothelium are critical for pumping fluid out of the stroma of the cornea

Without this function, the stroma would swell with fluid and the optical properties would be affected

Vascular Layer
The eye's more vascular middle layer, also known as the uvea, consists of three parts, from posterior to anterior: the choroid the ciliary body the iris

Choroid
Highly vascular layer in the posterior two-thirds of the eye. Loose, well-vascularized connective tissue rich in collagen and elastic fibers, fibroblasts, melanocytes, macrophages, lymphocytes, mast cells, and plasma cells. The abundant melanocytes give the layer its characteristic black color and block light from entering the eye except through the pupil.

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 Has three parts: 1. Suprachoroidal lamina

outer part of the choroid bound to the sclera

2. Choriocapillary lamina
richer than the outer layer in microvasculature. important for nutrition and normal maintenance of the retina.

3. A thin hyaline sheet known as Bruch's membrane separates the choriocapillary layer from the retina.

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Retina
The retina is the site of sensory transduction . Phototransduction involves a cascade of changes in the cells triggered when light hits and activates retinal layer. The retina is nervous tissue composed of 6 major types of neurons and one special type of glial-like cell (the Muller cell) The organization of the retina is based on a three neuron chain (photoreceptor cell to bipolar cell to ganglion cell)

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The major cell types of the retina are:

Rod photoreceptor cells - are specialized for reception in dim light

Cone photoreceptor cells - are specialized for sensing bright light and for color vision
Horizontal cells - interconnect groups of photoreceptor cells Bipolar cells - interconnect photoreceptor cells with ganglion cells Amacrine cells interconnect groups of ganglion cells and bipolar cells Ganglion cells possess long axons that extend through the nerve fiber layer of the retina and then come together to form the optic nerve Muller cells
are large glial-like cells their processes extend from the inner to the outer limiting layers. provide scaffolding for the neurons of the entire retina
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Histological layers of Retina

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Inner limiting membrane: is a basement membrane for the Muller cells. a basal lamina separating nervous tissue of the retina from connective tissue of the vitreous humor.. Nerve fiber layer: consists of the axons of ganglion cells along with blood vessels. The nerve fiber layer is

continuous with the optic nerve.

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Ganglion cell layer: contains the cellbodies of ganglion cells. Inner plexiform layer: contains dendrites of ganglion cells synapsing with axons of bipolar cells. contains synapses occurring among amacrine cells and bipolar cells and ganglion cells. Inner nuclear layer: contains cell bodies of bipolar cells, horizontal cells, amacrine cells, and Muller cells. Outer plexiform layer: contains synapses of the processes of photoreceptor cells (rods and cones) with dendrites of bipolar cells.
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Outer nuclear layer: contains the cell bodies of rods and cones. Outter limiting membrane: is defined by a series of junctional complexes between Muller cells and rod and cone photoreceptor cells. Layer of rods and cones: contains the inner & outer segments of the (rod and cone) photoreceptor cells. Retinal pigment epithelium (RPE): contains pigmented cells with phagocytic properties.

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Functions of the cells in the retinal pigmented epithelium.

Serve as an important part of the blood-retina barrier. Absorb light passing through the retina to prevent its reflection Phagocytose shed components from the adjacent rods and cones. Remove free radicals. Isomerize and regenerate the retinoids used as chromophores by the rods and cones.

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The End

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