The Eye - Choroid/Sclera Flashcards
Three chambers of the eye
Anterior chamber - just behind the cornea (aqueous humor)
Posterior chamber - small wedge shape region posterior to the iris and anterior to the lens (aqueous humor)
Vitreous chamber - large and makes up most of the center of the eye, composed of collagenous vitreous body. Aqueous humor infiltrates the vitreous body
Three layers of the eye
Cornea-sclera - mostly dense connective tissue
Uvea - Vascular and loose connective tissue
Retina - the innermost layer made of epithelail and neuro-epithelial cells.
Where is the lens located?
Posterior to the anterior chamber and anterior to the vitreous body
Where is the optic nerve?
Cranial nerve 2 and emerges from the posterior aspect of the optic globe
Structure of the retina
Inner boarder of the wall of the eye abutting the vitreous body
Epithelial like structure with clear lamination (cell layers of nuclei)
Structure of the uvea?
Three parts
Anterior - iris and ciliary body
Posterior - choroid
What is the choroid?
Part of the uvea and posterior in the eye. Composed of lots of vascular tissue and heavily pigmented.
What is the sclera?
Outer layer of the eye composed of densely packed collagen fibers
Function and composition of the sclera?
Thick, dense, layer of collagen fibers that provides structural support for the eye and serves as the point of attachment for the extraocular muscles
Tissue makeup of the sclera
Dense regular connective tissue
What is the cornea?
Part of the sclera (anterior 1/6 of the globe) is made up of such densely and regularly packed collagen fibers that it is transparent
What is the posterior 5/6 of the outer layer of the eye?
Sclera, white of the eye
What is the limbus?
The region where the cornea and sclera meet
Function of the cornea?
Allows light entering from the anterior of the eye
What is the major refractory element in the eye?
The cornea
What covers the outer layer of the cornea?
Stratified squamous epithelium
What is the Bowman’s membrane?
The basement membrane that separates the epithelium from the stroma of the cornea
The majority of the cornea is composed of?
Stromal tissue which is made up of regularly arranged collagen fibers. Nuclei of the associated fibroblasts that produced the collagen are visible too.
What is the Descemet’s membrane?
The basement membrane on the inner surface of the cornea adjacent to the anterior chamber. Also covered by epithelial tissue called endothelium (large squamous cells)
T or F: The cornea is avascular
T (therefore transplants are very successful)
T or F: The cornea is highly innervated
T, by free nerve endings making it highly pain sensitive
Describe the fibrous layer of the sclera
Composed of elastic, collagen, and fibroblasts to provide structure to the eye.
Much thicker than the choroid or retina.
Poorly vascularized, but serves as the point of attachment of tendons in the extra-ocular muscle
What is the canal of Schlemm?
Where the limbus is located and serves to drain the aqueous humor from the eye
Describe the drainage of the aqueous humor
Drains from the anterior chamber through trabecular meshworks into the canal of Schlemm and from there to the venous system of the eye
Describe the function of aqueous humor drainage
Being continually made by the epithelial cells of the ciliary processes and if excess not drained away can lead to increase in intraocular pressure like in glaucoma
The anterior chamber is just behind the…?
The cornea
The posterior chamber is located where?
Wedge shaped chamber just behind the iris