Our eyes are beautiful yet they are complex organs.
Many distinctive parts have to work together to convert the light bouncing off all around us into a constant stream of pictures that we can understand and acknowledge. Are you aware of what are these different components and how can they contribute to our capacity to see?
The components of the Eye
We are not likely to look at each of the areas of the eye but will discuss only the ones directly involved in creating a picture to send to the brain, starting at the front of the eye and moving to the back.
Front of the eye is the cornea, a clear layer which allows light inside.
- The total amount of light that gets in is controlled by the iris, a vibrant, circular muscle that contracts and relaxes based on how bright it is.
- Just inside the front of the eye is the lens, which, unlike camera lenses, can change its shape to focus on objects at different distances away.
- The lens focuses light onto the retina at the back of the eye, which can be coated in light-sensitive rods and cones.
- Finally, the optic nerve takes the information received by the retina to the brain so that it may be transformed into an image.
Binocular Vision
If you put your hands over one eye, then change to the other eye, you’ll see that you find a slightly different image. This is due to our eyes’ position. Putting both images together creates a 3D image and gives us depth perception.
The Brain’s Visual Cortex
All the visual information accumulated by the retina in each eye goes up the optic nerves and into the adrenal gland of their brain, which is situated in the occipital lobe in the back of the eye. The entire process happens many times each second, which is how we can perceive movement.
How Our Eyes Keep Themselves Healthy
This is how our two eyes, along with their parts, and also the vision center of the mind function together, but what about how they stay in good form? Our eyes have defense and maintenance systems built-in too. Our eyelids are efficient in protecting our eyes with the help of our lashes and eyebrows. Blinking retains our eyes moist, cleans off any debris, and blocks more from getting in. And, needless to say, we could shut our eyes to block the light out so we can sleep!
Next are our tear glands, which make tears to wash contaminants, dust, and germs away. These glands are continuously at work to maintain the crucial tear film on the surface of the eye, along with the tear ducts at our lower eyelids grab the extra fluid and then drain it away to keep everything clean!
Are All The Parts Of Your Eyes Working?
It’s amazing how all of the parts of the eye work together, how the two eyes function as a team, and also the way the brain processes all the information that they collect.
But since our eyes are so complex, it means there’s a good deal of ways things can fail, and that is where the optometrist comes from. If anything has recently shifted about your vision or whether you’re simply due for your eye exam, schedule a consultation with us so that we could make sure it’s all working!
We’re excited that you are interested in understanding the mechanics of your eyes.