Anatomy of the eye Flashcards
What is the orbit?
Cavity that contains the eye and its associated structures
Where is the orbit located?
Upper part of facial skeleton
What shape is the orbit?
Pyramid shaped
What are the parts of the orbit? What are their relative positions?
Apex - posteriorly
Base - anteriorly
Walls
What is located at the apex of the orbit?
Superior orbital fissure
inferior orbital fissure
Optic canal
What forms the margins of the base of the orbit?
Orbital rim
What are the walls of the orbit?
Roof
Floor
Medial
Lateral
What forms the roof of the orbit?
The frontal bone
What forms the floor of the orbit?
The maxilla
What forms the medial wall of the orbit?
Ethmoid bone
What forms the lateral wall of the orbit?
Zygomatic bone
What is located above the roof the orbit?
Anterior cranial fossa
frontal lobe
Which walls of the orbit are the weakest?
Medial wall
Floor
Why is the medial wall of the orbit relatively weaker?
Because it is mostly made up of the ethmoid bone which contains the ethmoidal air sinuses
Why is the floor of the orbit relatively weaker?
Because it is mostly made up of the maxillary bone which contains the maxillary air sinus
What are the contents of the orbital cavity?
Eye
Extrinsic ocular muscles
Neurovascular supply
Lacrimal apparatus
Orbital fat
What is another term for palpabrae?
Eyelids
What are the functions of the palpabrae?
Protect the eye from drying out
Protect eye when palpebral fissure is closed
What are the palpabrae made up of?
Tarsal plates
Muscles
What are tarsal plates made up of?
Fibrous connective tissue
Mebomian glands at edges
What is the function of the tarsal plates?
Make eyelids firm
Give shape to eyelids
What lies between the orbital contents and the orbicularis oculi?
Orbital septum
What is the orbital septum?
Sheet of fibrous tissue
What does the orbital septum attach to?
Orbital rim
Tarsal plates
Tendon of levator palpabrae superioris muscle
What is the pre-septal space?
Tissues in front of the orbital septum
What is the post-septal space?
Tissues behind the orbital septum
What are the muscles of the eyelids?
Levator palpabrae superioris
What is the function of the Mebomian glands?
Produce oily secretion
What is the purpose of the oily secretion produced by the Mebomian glands?
Lubricates edge of eyelids
Mix with tear film over eye
prevent tears from evaporating too quickly
prevent tear spillage
What part of the eye does the conjunctiva cover?
Sclera
Inner surface of eyelid
What does the conjunctiva lining the sclera and the inner surface of the eyelid form?
The conjunctival sac
What part of the eye does the conjunctiva not cover?
Cornea
What is the conjunctiva made up of?
Mucous membrane
What are the functions of the conjunctiva?
Produces mucous and tears
to lubricate the cornea
What is the relative blood supply of the conjunctiva?
Good blood supply
lots of small blood vessels supplying it
What are the parts of the lacrimal apparatus?
Lacrimal gland
Lacrimal sac
Nasolacrimal duct
Where is the lacrimal gland located?
Fossa in superolateral orbit
What is the function of the lacrimal gland?
Produce tears
lubricate conjunctiva and cornea of eye, prevent them drying out
What happens to fluid from the lacrimal gland?
Passes into conjunctival sac
travels to medial angle of eye
drains into lacrimal sac
drains into nasolacrimal duct into nasal cavity
What is the innervation of the lacrimal gland?
Parasympathetic
via greater petrosal nerve of CN7 facial nerve
then opathalmic branches of CN5 trigeminal nerve
What is the role of blinking in lubrication of the surface of the eye?
Washes tear film across conjunctiva and cornea
moves any particles to medial angle of eye to be removed
What is the blood supply of the eye?
Internal carotid artery
opthalmic artery
What is the venous drainage of the eye?
Superior and inferior opthalmic veins
into cavernous sinus, pterygoid venous plexus
What innervates the eye?
General sensory - opthalmic branch of CN5 trigeminal
Special sensory - CN2 optic nerve
Motor - CN3 oculomotor, CN4 trochlear and CN6 abducens
What is the position of the eyeball in the orbital cavity?
Suspended in the orbital cavity
not resting on the floor of the orbital cavity
What suspends the eyeball in the orbital cavity?
Suspensory ligament
Rectus muscles
Orbital fat
How does the suspensory ligament of the orbital cavity relate to the eyeball?
Suspensory ligament runs inferiorly to the eyeball