The eye is a wondrous part of the body. Often referred to as the windows of the soul, your eyes are responsible for the way you interpret color and light to see the world. Understanding how they work can help you make better eyecare choices.
Cornea
The cornea is the clear coating that protects the internal components of the eye and allows light to pass into the eye for image reception. It is also responsible for the first level of focus. Corneal scratches and abrasions are frequently treated by eyecare professionals, and the cornea is the part that contact lenses and laser surgeries must alter to correct vision problems.
Iris
Whether you’ve got beautiful baby blues, are a brown-eyed girl, or have mischievous green sparklers, the colorful part of your eye, or iris, helps control how much light enters your eye. Did you know that each person’s irises are as unique as his or her fingerprints? The shades, colors, and patterns are never exactly the same between individuals.
Pupil
The black circle in the center of your eye is your pupil. It constricts and expands to allow light passage. In a dark room, the pupil opens wide to let you see well with low light. In bright sun, it shelters the eye’s components by becoming as small as it can.
Lens
Directly behind the pupil, your lens helps to further focus your eye and allow you to see things as they approach you.
Retina
Imagine an inside lining to the back of your eyeball, and that is the retina. This structure translates the light and color from the images around you into electronic signals. A serious condition that can cause you permanent vision loss or blindness is called Retinal Detachment, an eyecare emergency where this lining separates from the eye and must be surgically reattached.
Optic Nerve
Last but not least, your magical optic nerve takes the electronic signals from your retina and transmits them to your brain. Your brain then “sees” the image. The optic nerve is very vulnerable to harm from maladies such as glaucoma, which can be common for diabetic patients.
Amazing things happen within your eyes. In minuscule fractions of a second, light is transformed into beautiful images in your brain. Protecting your eyes should be a top priority in all that you do. Consult your Phoenix eye care professional for more interesting facts about your eyes!
