The senses

describe the structure and function of the parts

of the human eye; i.e., the cornea, lens, sclera,
choroid, retina, rods and cones, fovea centralis,
pupil, iris and optic nerve

The amazing gift of vision is a complex

process.
It starts with stimulation in the eye and finishes
with the brain interpreting that information.
In order to understand this process we need to
understand the anatomy of the eye.

Label all of the parts of the diagram in your notes.

Add the function and notes for each structure in the
diagram as we go.

The Eye is composed of 3 layers:

sclera, choroid layer and retina

Sclera outer covering, white, fibrous,

maintains eyes shape
Choroid layer (middle)- front of choroid
forms the iris (colored part of the eye)
Retina inner most layers, where the action
happens sensory cells!

cornea - transparent part of sclera that refracts

light toward pupil
Cornea gets oxygen and nutrients by absorbing from
moisture in eye (tears) and from aqueous humour
Why are there no blood vessels in the cornea?

aqueous humor: chamber of transparent fluid

behind the cornea, in front of iris

iris - thin circular muscle, controls the size of

the pupil opening (and amount of light
entering eye)
lens adjustable, found right behind iris,
focuses light onto retina
ciliary muscles - adjust the shape of the lens
vitreous humor - jellylike fluid behind lens,
helps focus light on the retina, also maintains
shape of eye

Retina - innermost layer, contains

photoreceptors (rods, cones)
*rod cells - more sensitive to light, do not
distinguish colors, used for night-vision
*cones - need high intensity light, used to
identify color

fovea centralis - most sensitive area of the

retina, contains about 150,000 cones/mm2
some birds have 1 million cones per mm2
approx. 160 mill. rod cells, and 6 mill. cone
cells
photoreceptors account for approx. 70%
sensory receptors
***blind spot - area which the optic nerve is
attached to the retina, no rods or cones there

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ElAuQy
w4uA

Rods sense light through a molecule called

Rhodopsin
light sensitive pigment in rods
made of retinal (derivative of vitamin A)
and protein (opsin)
when light strikes the retinal and opsin
separate into retinene and opsin
Body uses ATP to regenerate supply

Color vision - vitamin A component along with

three different protein opsins
Three different types - blue, red, green
Colour blindness results from one or more
types of cones being defective

Most common red-green colour blindness

Colour Blindness

Stroop Effect

http://faculty.washington.edu/chudler/words.html

Count the black dots.

Do they keep moving?

Stare at the blue circles and move

your head back and forth from the
screen. Do the outer circles move?

Keep staring at the black dot. After a while

the gray haze around it will appear to
shrink.

Accommodation:
focuses lens by changing shape from flat (for
distant objects) by relaxing ciliary muscles to
spherical (close objects) by contracting ciliary
muscles (Fig. 16.9 - pg. 389)

build-up of transparent protein on lens, less

flexible over time, need help around age 40 to
bend the light (get bifocals)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iws1Mf
u1k84

Find information about the following disorders

in your textbook:

Glaucoma
Cataracts

Go to page 454 try mini investigation (dont

need to write answers down)

Chapter Assignment Complete 14.1 and 14.2