Contributions by Dominique Mustur, MD

The eye is one of our most important sensory organs for orienting ourselves in our environment. In its structure and functioning, the eye can be compared to a camera lens: Light rays pass through the transparent surface of the eye - the cornea - through the pupil. The size of the pupil, and thus also the amount of incident light, is...

The outer shell is formed by the transparent cornea and the opaque white sclera. Both tissues give the eye its shape and strength. The conjunctiva covers the sclera in front and contains fine visible vessels.

The conjunctiva "connecting garment" (lat. Tunica conjunctiva) is a mucous membrane of the anterior segment of the eye and surrounds the cornea and the visible white part of the eye. The conjunctiva distributes the tear fluid on the cornea with each blink. Therefore, among other things, serves the mobility of the eye. The conjunctiva moistens itself through glands. If it becomes inflamed, this can...

The ciliary muscle belongs to the inner eye muscles and is located in the ciliary body (lat. corpus ciliare) - also called the ray body. The ciliary body is a section of the middle eye skin and, in addition to the suspension of the lens and its accommodation by the ciliary muscle, is also involved in the production of the aqueous humor. In humans, the ring-shaped ciliary muscle is connected via the zonula fibers to the...

The posterior chamber of the eye is smaller than the anterior chamber. It extends from the iris to the vitreous body - in it lies the lens. The aqueous humor - which fills both the posterior and anterior chambers of the eye - is formed in the ciliary body and serves to nourish the lens and cornea. In addition, it stabilizes intraocular pressure and...

Light enters the eye through the cornea, where it is then transmitted to the lens and pupil. The cornea is therefore also called the "window of the eye" and is an important component of the optical system. The refractive power of the cornea is quite strong at about 43 diopters and is therefore an important factor in forming an image of...

The pupil is the circular aperture in the center of the iris. Light enters the interior of the eye through the pupil. Its size is regulated by the surrounding iris, depending on the light conditions in the environment: When there is a lot of light, the pupil through the iris becomes smaller, and when the environment is dark, it becomes larger. Thereby it is...