The functioning of the eye

Our eyes are indispensable and therefore one of the most important senses of our body. But how do our eyes actually work?

Optically explained

The functioning of our eyes can best be compared to a camera. With a lens set, light regulator and a light-sensitive plate.
When you look at something, light enters the eye. First through the cornea, the light-refracting system of the eye. The light passes through the pupil, the middle part of the iris, to the natural lens of the eye. Our pupil can best be compared to the diaphragm of a camera. In bright light, the pupil shrinks. In the dark, the pupil expands to let more light through. Via the lens, the light finally falls on the retina.

At the back of the eye on the retina, light is registered by millions of light-sensitive cells and converted into electrical signals. The central part of the retina, where you can see most details, is the macula. Also called the yellow spot.

The optic nerve provides high-speed communication with the brain. Only in the brain are the signals, sent from the macula, converted into conscious images.

Function of the eye

The eye's most important function is to transmit a sharp image of everything you see. Your eye does this through perfect cooperation between the cornea, the length of the eye and the natural lens. When all these building blocks are perfectly aligned, you see sharply. If not, you have a refractive error. The best known are minus strength, plus strength and a cylinder error.