Ophthalmology terms Flashcards
aqueous humor
aque/o = water
the anterior chamber is the open area of the eye anterior to the lens and is filled with a watery fluid called aqueous humor
eyelid
blephar/o = eyelid
upper and lower eyelids are folds of skin that close to protect the anterior surface of the eyeball
cilia
eyelashes
choroid layer
choroid/o = choroid layer
middle layer of the wall of the eyeball; contains many blood vessels
conjunctiva (plural conjunctivae or conjunctivas)
conjunctiv/o = conjunctiva
mucous membrane that protects the anterior surface of the eyeball (primarily the cornea) and turns underneath to line the eyelids
pupil
chore/o = pupil
opening in the center of the iris; becomes larger or smaller to control the amount of light entering the inside of the eyeball
cornea
corne/o - cornea
anterior portion of the sclera; transparent to allow light through and curved to bend light rays so that they focus on the retina
ciliary body
cycl/o = ciliary body
a ring of muscle around the outer edge of the lens; attached to the lens by suspensory ligaments; pulls on the edges of the lens to change its shape to focus an image onto the retina
tear (drop)
dacry/o = tear (drop)
watery fluid secreted by lacrimal glands that moistens and cleanses the anterior surface of the eyeball; lacrimal glands are located superior and lateral to the eyeball and under the orbital bone; tears collect in the corner of the eye and flow through lacrimal canals to the lacrimal sac
iris
ir/o = iris
colored portion of the eye; made of muscle and contracts or relaxes to change the size of the pupil
eye
ocul/o = eye
a complex sensory organ that allows people to see; light rays pass through the cornea, pupil, and lens to land on the fovea centralis of the retina
lens
phac/o = lens
transparent structure lying behind the iris and pupil; bends light rays passing through it so that they are focused on the retina
retina (plural retinae or retinas)
retin/o = retina
inner layer of the eyeball; contains light receptors called rods and cones; rods function in dim light and see in gray tones, cones see color in bright light; area on the posterior wall of the eyeball, directly opposite the lens, is call the macula lutea; a small pit in the center of the macula, call fovea centralis, contains only cones and is the point of clearest vision
sclera (plural sclerae or scleras)
scler/o = sclera
outermost layer of the eye, commonly called the white of the eye; very fibrous and tough
vitreous humor
vitre/o = glassy
refers to the gel-like shiny substance, vitreous humor, that fills the posterior chamber, the large open cavity between the lens and the retina