Eye Vocabulary Flashcards
Accomodation
Adjustment of the eye for various distances through modification of the lens curvature
Amsler Grid
A set of charts with various geometric shapes in black & white, used for detecting defects of the central visual field
Anisocoria
Inequality of the diameter of the pupils; may be normal or congenital. Often normal if inequality is within 1 mm
Aphakia
Condition in which part of all of the crystalline lens of the eye is absent, usually because of surgical removal for the treatment of cataracts
Aqueous Humor
Watery transparent liquid containing trace albumin and small amount of salts produced by the iris, ciliary body, and cornea. It circulates through the anterior & posterior chambers of the eye.
Astigmatism
An abnormal condition in which the light rays cannot be focused clearly in a point in a point on the retina because of an irregular curvature of the lens or cornea.
Cataracts
Opacity of the lens; most commonly resulting from denaturation of the lens protein caused by aging
Chalazion
Small, hard tumor analogous to sebaceous cyst developing on the eye lids, formed by the distention of a meibomian gland with secretion.
Choroid
Middle vascular tunic of the eye lying between the retina and the sclera. Dark brown vascular coat of the eye between the sclera & retina, extending from ora serrata to optic nerve. Consists of blood vessels united by connective tissue containing pigmented cells and is made up of five layers.
Ciliary Body
The thickened part of the vascular tunic of the eye that joins the iris with the anterior portion of the choroid. Consists of three zones: ciliary disk, ciliary crown, and ciliary muscle.
Cones
Photosensitive, outward-directed, conical process of a cone cell essential for sharp vision and color vision; cones are the only photoreceptor in the fovea centralis, and become interspersed with increasing numbers of rods toward the periphery of the retina
Conforontation
A test for estimating peripheral vision
Conjunctiva
The mucous membrane investing the anterior surface of the eyeball and the posterior surface of the lids
Conjunctivitis
Inflammation of the conjunctiva caused by infectious agents or by allergies; commonly called “pink-eye”
Cornea
- Clear, transparent anterior portion of the fibrous coat of the eye comprising about 1/6th of its surface.
- It is the chief refractory structure of the eye.
What is the chief refractory structure of the eye?
Cornea
Corneal Arcus
Opaque white ring about corneal periphery, seen in many individuals older than 60. This is due to deposit of lipids in the cornea or to hyaline degeneration. May indicate a lipid disorder, most commonly type II hyperlipidemia if present before 40 years of age
Cotton wool spot
Ill-defined yellow areas due to infarction fo the nerve layer of the retina
Depth perception
Perception of spatial relationships in 3D. The visual ability to judge distance or depth
Diabetic Retinopathy (Background)
A condition characterized by dot hemorrhages or microaneurysms and the presence of hard or soft exudates.
Diabetic Retinopathy (Proliferative)
A condition characterized by development of new vessels as a result of anoxic stimulation; vessels grow out of the retina toward the vitreous humor
Diopter
Refractive power of the lens with focal distance of 1 meter; used as a unit of measurement in refraction
Diplopia
Condition in which a single object is perceived as two objects (double vision)
Drusen
Tiny yellow or white deposits in the retina of the eye or on the optic nerve head
Ectropian
eversion of and edge or margin, especially that of the eyelid
Episcleritis
Inflammation of the superficial layers of the sclera located in front of the insertion of the rectus muscle
Entropian
inversion of and edge or margin, especially that of the eyelid
Exophthalmos
An increase in the volume of the orbital content, causing protrusion of the globes forward. It may be bilateral or unilateral.
- Most common cause is Grave’s Disease (Thyroid Disease)
- Unilateral is likely a retro-orbital tumor
Glaucoma
- Disease of the optic nerve wherein the nerve cells die, producing increased cupping appearance of the optic nerve.
- An abnormal condition of elevated pressure within an eye resulting from obstruction of the outflow of aqueous humor.
- Produces defects in the visual field and may produce blindness
Hemianopia
Blindness for half the field of vision in one or both eyes
Hordeolum
- A sty
- A suppurative inflammation of a sebaceous gland of the eyelid
Hyperopia
Farsighted
Hypertelorism
Eyes spaced far apart
Hyphema
Blood in the anterior chamber of the eye in front of the iris
Iris
- The colored contractile membrane of the eye suspended between the lens & cornea
- Separates the anterior & posterior chambers of the eye
- Perforated by the pupil
Iritis
Inflammation of the iris
Legal Blindness
A person with corrected vision that is not better than 20/200
Macula
Site of central vision
Mydriasis
Pupil dilation
Miosis
Abnormal contraction of the pupils
Myopia
Nearsighted
Night blindness
Decreased ability to see in reduced illumination. Seen in patient with impaired rod function; often associated with Vitamin A deficiency
Nystagmus
Involuntary rhythmic movements of the eyes; oscillations may be horizontal, vertical, rotary, or mixed
Papilledema
Edema of the optic disc resulting in loss of definition of the disc margin; the cause is often increased ICP
Peripheral vision
Vision resulting from retinal stimulation beyond the macula
Pinguecula
A benign yellowish triangular nodule in the bulbar conjunctiva on either side of the iris that stops at the limbus
Presbyopia
Farsightedness caused by the loss of lens elasticity that generally starts in middle age
Pterygium
A triangular thickening of the bulbar conjunctiva that grows slowly to the outer surface of the cornea, usually from the nasal side, and may cover a portion of the cornea
Ptosis
Drooping of the eyelid
Punctum
Tiny opening in the margin of each eyelid that opens to the lacrimal duct
Red Reflex
A response caused by light illuminating the retina
Refraction
The act of determining the nature and degree of refractive errors in the eye and correction of them by lenses
Retina
Sensory network of the eye that transforms light impulses into electrical impulses, which are transmitted through the optic nerve
Retinitis Pigmentosa
Chronic progressive disease, which may occur in childhood, characterized by degeneration of the retinal neuroepithelium
Sclera
A though white fibrous tissue which covers the so-called white of the eye. It extends from the optic nerve to the cornea.
Scleritis
Superficial & deep inflammation of the sclera
Strabismus
A condition in which both eyes do not focus on the same object simultaneously; however, either eye can focus independently
Uveitis
Inflammation of the iris, ciliary body, and choroid, or the entire uvea
Vitreous Body
A transparent jelly-like substance that fills the cavity of the eyeball, enclosed by the hyaloid membrane; it is composed of a delicate network (vitreous stroma) enclosing in its meshes a watery fluid (vitreous humor)
Xanthelasma
An elevated plaque commonly found on the nasal portion of the eyelid due to hypercholesteremia
