GENERAL FEATURES OF THE

EYE
• Complex organ
• Refines and projects images onto its
photosensitive retina which then generates
the signals interpreted by the brain as
vision.
• 3 layers of the globe (eyeball):
• Tunica interna (retina)
• Tunica vasculosa
• Tunica fibrosa
Schematic horizontal meridional section of right eye
V.A.
A.P.
Cornea Posterior chamber
Conjunctiva Chamber Limbus
Anterior iris
Canal of schelemn Ciliary muscle

Zonula
Lens
Med. rectus
ciliaris
Ora serrata Lat. rectus
Ciliary
body

Vitreous

Lamina
cribrosa Sclera
Fovea Choroid
Retina

Dura
Optic nerve P.P.
EMBRYONIC DEVELOPMENT
• Optic bulb/ optic vesicle
• Ectoderm → lens placode ➔ Lens
• Portion of the bulb → optic cup ➔Tunica Interna
(retina)
• Outer layer→ Retina’s pigmented epithelium
• Inner layer→ Neural retina
• Stalk connecting the optic cup to the brain →
Optic nerve
• Mesenchym condense around tunica interna
➔ Tunica Fibrosa & vasculosa
Diagrams of 4 stages in the development of the eye
 TUNICA FIBROSA
• Cornea
• Transparent avascular disc
• Colorless
• Anterior one sixth of the external layer
• Consists of 5 layers :
• Anterior epithelium: Nonkeratinized stratified squamous
epithelium.
• Bowman’s membrane(anterior limiting lamina)
• Stroma/Substantia Propria
• Descemet’s membrane(posterior limiting membran)
• Corneal endothelium/posterior epithelium: Simple cuboidal
epithelium
 Conjunctiva C

B D

Photomicrographs of a transverse section of cornea. A : The Cornea and

conjuctiva seen at low magnification. B : The posterior corneal epithelium –
also called endothelium (arrows indicate Descemet’s membrane). C :
Conjuntival epithelium. D : Anterior corneal epithelium. Note the smooth
contour of the surface of this epithelium.
• Limbus Limbus
Cornea
Anterior chamber
Canal of schlemm

• Highly vascular Lens Ciliary muscles

• Ringlike junction
Zonule
Ora serrata Iris
Posterior Ciliary body and
chamber process
between cornea
Vitreous body Choroid
and sclera
Photosensitive

• Area of transition
retina
Sclera
Sclera
Optic papilla

from transparent Fovea

collagen bundles Sclera

Pigment
Choroid

Stroma contains an epithelium

endothelium
channels=canal of Optic nerve

Schlemm
• Sclera
• Opaque white connective tissue
• Anchored by dense connective tissue of
Tenon’s capsule
• 3 layers:
• Episclera: fibroelastic tissue
• Substantia propria: dense collagen bundle+
fibroblasts
• Lamina fusca: loose connective tissue
TUNICA VASCULOSA (UVEA)
• Choroid
• Between sclera and retina’s pigmented
epithelium
• 4 layers:
• Suprachoroidal lamina
• Vascular lamina
• Choriocapillary layer
• Bruch’s membran
 Section through retina, choroid and sclera.

Sc Ch = Choroid;
. Ret = Retina;
1 1 = Suprachoroid;
Ch. 2 = Vessel layer;
3 = choriocapillaris
2
3 4 = Lamina vitrea
4 5 = Pigment epithelium
5 6 = layer of rods and
6 cones
7
7 = external limiting
8
membrane
9 8 = outer nuclear layer
9 = outer plexiform layer
10 Ret 10 = inner nuclear layer
.
11 11 = inner plexiform
12 = ganglion cell layer
12 13 = nerve fiber layer
13 14 = internal limiting
membrane
14
• Ciliary Body
• Has the same layers as the choroid, minus
the choriocapillaris
• 2 structural specialized:
• Ciliary processes
• Ciliary muscles
• Iris
• Controls amount of light reaching the retina
• Gives the eyes its color
• Pupil = circular opening at its center
• Forming the border between anterior and
posterior chamber.
• Layers:
• Anterior surface
• Stroma Circumlental
space
Zonula fibers

• Vascular stratum
• Posterior surface Lens

• Involuntary muscles Ciliary

processe
s

Ora serrata
Orbiculus
ciliaris
 Anterior chamber
Constrictor pupil

Stroma
Anterior border
Endotheli
layer
um

Sphincter pupillae
Pigment epithelium
 TUNICA INTERNA (RETINA)

• Anterior: Nonphotosensitive→ciliary body+

iris
• Posterior: Specialized photoreceptor
• Ora serata: between anterior and posterior
• 2 layers of posterior portion:
• Pigmented epithelium
• Neural retina
• Ten layers of retina:
1. Pigment epithelium
2. Layers of rods and cones
3. External limiting membrane
4. Outer nuclear (or granular) layer
5. Outer flexiform (or molecular) layer
6. Inner nuclear (or granular) layer
7. Inner flexiform (or molecular) layer
8. Ganglion cell layer
9. Nerve fiber layer
10. Internal limiting membrane
 16. Sclera
17. Suprachoroid layer (lamina
1. Blood vessels of the fusca)with chromatophores
choroid 18. Vascular layer of the choroid
2. Chromatophores 19. Choriocapillary layer
3. Pigment cells in the
retina 20. Processes of pigment cells
extending between rods and
4. Rods cones
21. Cones
5. Cones
22. Rod
6. Outer limiting 23. Outer limiting membrane
membrane 24. Nuclei of cones
7. Nuclei of cones 25. Nuclei of rods
8. Nuclei of rods
26. Outer processes of
Muller’s cells
9. Outer plexiform 27. Synapses between
layer horizontal and visual
28. cells
Synapses between
cones and bipolar cells
10. Nuclei of bipolar,
horizontal, 29. Bipolar cell
amacrine and 30. Muller’s cell
Muller’s cells 31. Amacrine cell
32. Synapses between
11. Inner plexiform processes of bipolar,
amacrine and
layer ganglionic cells

12. Ganglion cell layer 33. Ganglion cell

34. Fiber of optic nerve

13. Muller’s fibers
14. Axons of ganglion 35. Horizontal fiber
cells
15. Inner limiting 36. Inner limiting
membrane 37. Inner fibers of Muller’s cells
membrane
• Only 3 layers of retinal neurons receive,
integrate, and transmit visual signals to the
brain as nerve impulse
• Rods and cones
• Photoreceptor cells
• Each has outer and inner segment
• Bipolar cells
• Relaying signals from photoreceptors to ganglion
cells
• Diffuse bipolar cell and monosynaptic bipolar cell
• Ganglion cells
Neuronal Interconnections in the Retina
Retinal Photoreceptors
• Other cells type
• 2 minor population of neurons:
• Horizontal cells
• Amacrine cells
• Glial cells:
• Astrocytes
• Microglia
• Muller cells
 FOVEA CENTRALIS
• Directly opposite the
center of the lens
• At the center of
macula lutea
• Greatest
concentration of
cones
• Thinnest region
 OPTIC DISK AND RETINAL
BLOOD SUPPLY
• Known as: papilla,
nerve head, blind spot
• Ganglion cell’s axon
converge at the back
of the eye → form the
optic nerve
• Retinal vessels enter
and exit
• Lack photoreceptor
Optic Nerve
Suspensory ligament
Uveal tract
Artery retina
 OPTIC NERVE
• Consists of ganglion
cell axons that
converge to leave the
eye at the optic disk
• Contains the retinal
artery and veins at its
core

Optic Nerve
Suspensory ligament
Uveal tract
Artery retina
 VITREOUS BODY
• Transparat gellike
body
• Mostly water and
hyaluronic acid and
fills the large vitreous
space
• At the center: hyaloid
canal
 LENS
• Transparent, elastic,biconvex structure
• Lack of blood and nerve
• Suspended by zonule of ciliary body
• Accommodation to focus on objects
V.A
.
Cornea A.P
. Posterior chamber
Conjunctiva Chambe Limbus
Anterior r iris
Canal of schelemn Ciliary muscle

Lens
Med. rectus Zonula
ciliaris
Ora serrata Lat. rectus
Ciliary
body

Vitreous

Lamina
cribrosa Sclera
Fovea Choroid
Retina

Dura
Optic nerve P.P
.
 The lens, viewed from
behind and from the side.

From section through margin of lens longitudinal sections of lens

fibers and transition from epithelium to lens fibers.
a : Lens fibers; b: capsule; c : epithelium
• Three main component:
• Lens capsule : homogenous, type III and IV
collagen
• Subcapsular Epithelium
• Single layer of cuboidal epithelium cells
• Present only on the anterior surface
• Lens Fibers :
• Appear as thin flattened structures
• They are highly differentiated cells derived from
specialized epithelium

A:Epithelium
C:Capsul
 ACCESSORY STRUCTURES OF
THE EYE
• Conjunctiva
• 2 parts:
• Bulbar conjunctiva: Thin
nonkeratinized stratified
squamous epithelium, covering
anterior of cornea
• Palpebral conjunctiva: Stratified
columnar epithelium, covering
inner surface of eyelids
• Underlying by a loose,
vascular lamina propria
• Eyelids (palpebra)
• Skin folds that protect the eyes
• Thin skin on the surface lacks of hairs
• Underlying by:
• Loose connective tissue
• Dense connective tissue (tarsal plate)
• 3 types of glands:
• Meibom
• Moll
• Zeiss
 EYELIDS

10. Superior tarsal

1. Hair follicles muscle (of Muller)
11. Adipose tissue
2. Sweat glands
12. Accessory
lactrimal gland
3. Epidermis and dermis (of Krause)
13. Lymphatic
4. Rudimentary hari follicle tissue

5. Palpebral part of 14. Epithelium of palpebral

orbicularis oculi muscle conjuctiva
15. Tarsal glands
(Meibomian glands)

6. Connective 16. Tarsus

tissue
7. Arteriole
8. Ciliary glands : large
sweat glands (of Moll)
9. Sebaceous glands
(of Zeiss)
17. Palpebral
conjuctiva
18. Duct of tarsal gland
(Meibomian gland)
19. Ciliary muscle (of Riolan)
20. Hair follicles of eyelashes
• Lacrimal Apparatus
• System glands and ducts provides tears
• Lacrimal glands: tubuloalveolar glands
• Secretory units:
• Columnar secretory cells + myoepithelial cells
• lobes
• Lacrimal puncta
• Lacrimal canaliculi
• Lacrimal duct
• Nasolacrimal duct
THE LACRIMAL DRAINAGE SYSTEM
 LACRIMAL GLAND

6. Venule

1. Glandular
alveoli 7. Interlobular
duct

8. Glandular
2. Intralobular alveoli
ducts
3. Myoepithelial 9. Interalveolar
cell (basal or connective
basket cell) tissue
10. Arteries
4. Interlobular
connective
tissue
5. Outpocketing 11. Interlobular
of glandular duct
cells
DRAINAGE OF TEARS

Lacrimal Gland

Cornea, Bulbar and palpebral

conjunctiva

Lacrimal Puncta

Lacrimal Canaliculi

Lacrimal Sac

Nasolacrimal Duct

Inferior meatus of nasal

cavity