The Human Eye

The eye collects visual information and transmits it to the brain for processing. Essentially, the human eye looks and the brain tells us what we are looking at.

The lens and cornea help focus the light on the part of the retina called macula. The iris assists the cornea and lens in focusing light, but also controls the amount of light entering the eye. The retina converts the information to signals that are carried to the brain by the optic nerve for processing. When all the components are working properly we enjoy sight.

How we see

Seeing can be likened to the process of taking pictures on a film with a camera which you then get developed. The retina is like a camera film which stores an image of what we are looking at. The image directed onto the retina is then sent along to the brain where it is processed, like developing a camera film. Therefore we actually “see” in our brain with the light information sent to it from our eyes. This whole process happens very quickly so that everything we see is in focus.

Two common sight conditions are myopia (nearsightedness) and hyperopia (farsightedness).

Nearsighted people have trouble seeing things a distance. The medical term for nearsightedness is myopia. It is due to the long shape of their eye. This shape means the light does not focus on the macula as it should. This problem can be corrected by glasses, contact lenses, or refractive surgery.

Farsightedness people have trouble seeing thing close up. The medical term for farsightedness is hyperopia. This problem is caused by a shorter eye and can be corrected by glasses, contact lenses, or refractive surgery.

Myopia (Nearsighted)

Hyperopia (Farsighted)