The Human Eye

The eye is the organ which regulates the sense of sight, allowing us to interpret the shapes, colours and dimensions of our surroundings by processing the light they reflect or emit. This guide will take you through each step of the visual process, defining the role of the various parts and their link to each other.

Anatomy of the eye

Hover over the plus buttons to learn about the functionality of each part of the eye

Anatomy of the eye

01. Light enters the eye

When you look at an external element, the light rays reflecting on this element enter the eye through the cornea which bends the light rays in such a way that

Light enters the eye

02. Lens adjusts focal length

The crystalline lens changes shape in order to adjust the focus. The resulting image appears as an upside down projection on the back of the

Lens adjusts focal length

03. Brain interprets the image

When light rays reach a sharp focusing point on the retina, they are transformed into light impulses that go through a million nerve fibers to reach the optic nerve. Its role is to transmit these signals to the visual cortex which then interprets light impulses into images.

Brain interprets the image