The Skull Protects the Eye the Eye Itself Is a Hollow Sphere Divided Into Two Compart­ Ments (Chambers) Separated by a Lens (Fig

The Skull Protects the Eye the Eye Itself Is a Hollow Sphere Divided Into Two Compart­ Ments (Chambers) Separated by a Lens (Fig

366 Chapter 10 Sensory Physiology \\. Vestibular branch of ~ vestibulocochlear r~ ne~e~lll) ___------~ ~ n-,..~--riJ Somatic motor neurons Vestibu lar apparatus ~ controlling eye movements • FIGURE 10-28 eNS pathways for equilibrium The Skull Protects the Eye The eye itself is a hollow sphere divided into two compart­ ments (chambers) separated by a lens (Fig. 1O-30a e ). The lens, The external anatomy of the eye is shown in Figure 10-29 • . suspended by ligaments called zonuies, is a transparent disk Like sensory elements of the ears, the eyes are protected by a that focuses light. The anterior chamber in front of the lens is bony cavity, the orbit, which is formed by facial bones of the filled with aqueous humor [hllmidus, moist], a low-protein skull. Accessory structures associated with the eye include six plasma-like fluid secreted by the ciliary epithelium supporting the extrinsic eye muscles, skeletal muscles that attach to the outer lens. Behind the lens is a much larger chamber, the vitreous surface of the eyeball and control eye movements. Cranial chamber, filled mostly with the vitreous body [vitnlll'l, glass; nerves III, IV, and VI innervate these muscles. also called the vitreous humor], a clear, gelatinous matrix that The upper and lower eyelids close over the anterior surface of helps maintain the shape of the eyeball. The outer wall of the the eye, and the lacrimal apparatus, a system of glands and ducts, eyeball, the sclera, is composed of connective tissue. keeps a continuous flow of tea rs washing across the exposed sur­ face so that it remains moist and free of debris. Tear secretion is stimulated by parasympathetic neurons from cranial nerve VII. CLINICAL FOCUS Muscles attached to Lacrimal gland external surface of eye secretes tears. control eye movement. GLAUCOMA The eye disease glaucoma, characterized by degeneration of the optic nerve, is the leading cause of blindness world­ __- - Upper wide. Many people associate glaucoma with increased eyelid intraocular (within the eyeball) pressure, but scientists ~-- Sclera have discovered that increased pressure is only one risk factor for the disease. A significant number of people "'--;~----4~-.-.!-- Pupil with glaucoma have normal intraocular pressure, and not everyone with elevated pressure develops glaucoma. ----'-- Iris Many cases of elevated eye pressure are associated with excess aqueous humor, a fluid that is secreted by the ------ Lower eyelid ciliary epithelium near the lens. Normally the fluid drains out through the canal of Schlemm in the anterior cham­ ber of the eye, but if outflow is blocked, the aqueous humor accumulates, causing pressure to build up inside the eye. Treatments to decrease intraocular pressure in­ clude drugs that inhibit aqueous humor production and surgery to reopen the canal of Schlemm. Research sug­ gests that the optic nerve degeneration in glaucoma may The orbit is a bony Nasolacrimal duct be due to nitric oxide or apoptosis-inducing factors, and cavity that protects drains tears into studies in these areas are underway. the eye. nasal cavity . • FIGURE 10-29 External anatomy of the eye The Eye and Vision 367 THE EYE Zonules: Lens bends attach lens to light to focus ciliary muscle it on the retina . Optic disk (blind spot): ---_, region where optic nerve and blood vessels leave Canal of the eye Schlemm Aqueous Central retinal artery humor and vein emerge from Cornea ~ center of optic disk. Pupil changes ~ Optic nerve amount of light ~ Fovea: region entering the eye. of sharpest vision Iris Macula: the center of the visual field Vitreous chamber (b) View of the rear wall of the eye as seen Retina: layer that through the pupil with an ophthalmoscope contains photoreceptors 10 Ciliary muscle: contraction alters "--- Sclera is connective tissue. curvature of the lens. FIGURE QUESTION If the fovea is lateral to the optic disk, (a) Sagittal section of the eye which eye is illustrated in part (b) ? • FIGURE 10-30 Light enters the anterior surface of the eye through the CONCEPT CHECK cornea, a transparent disk of tissue that is a continuation of the sclera. After passing throug h the opening of the pupil, it strikes 24. What functions does the aqueous humor serve' Answers p. 38 3 the lens, which has two convex surfaces. The cornea and lens together bend incoming light rays so that they focus on the Light Enters the Eye Through the Pu pil retina, the li ght-sensitive lining of the eye that contains the In the first step of the visual pathway, light from the environ­ photoreceptors. ment enters the eye. Before it strikes the retina, however, the When viewed through the pupil with an ophthalmoscope light is modified two ways. First, the amount of light that [ophthalmos, eye), the retina is seen to be crisscrossed with small reaches photoreceptors is modulated by changes in the size of arteries and veins that radiate out from one spot, the optic disk the pupil. Second, the light is focused by changes in the shape (Fig. lO-30b). The optic disk is the location where neurons of the of the lens. visual pathway form the optic nerve (cranial nerve II) and exit The human eye functions over a lOO,OOO-fold range of the eye. Lateral to the optic disk is a small dark spot, the fovea. light intensity. Most of this ability comes from the sensitivity The fovea and a narrow ring of ti ssue surrounding it, the of the photoreceptors, but the pupils assist by regulating the macula, are the regions of the retina with the most acute vision. amount of light that falls on the retina. In bright sunlight, the Neural pathways for the eyes are illustrated in Figure pupils narrow to about 1.S mm in diameter when a parasympa­ 10-31 • . The optic nerves from the eyes go to the optic chiasm thetic pathway constricts the circular pupillary muscles. In the in the brain, where some of the fibers cross to the opposite side. dark, the opening of the pupil dilates to 8 mm, a 28-fold in­ After synapsing in the lateral geniculate body (lateral genicu­crease in pupil area. Dilation occurs when radial muscles lying late nilclells) of the thalamus, the vision neurons of the tract ter­ perpendicular to the circular muscles contract under the influ­ minate in the occipital lobe at the visual cortex. Collateral ence of sympathetic neurons. pathways go from the thalamus to the midbrain, where they Testing pupillary reflexes is a standard part of a neurolog­ synapse with effer~nt neurons of cranial nerve III that control ical examination. Light hitting the retina in one eye activates the the diameter of the pupils. reflex. Signals travel through the optic nerve to the thalamus, 368 Chapter 10 Sensory Physiology (a) Dorsal view (b) Neural pathway for vision, lateral view "'''';;~----'''f-+-+-----1F.l+.- 0 pt i c tract "--:.....:::I-';H+- Optic chiasm "----:::ao""li~,<-- Optic nerve ~~~ Optic Optic Optic Lateral geniculate Visual cortex nerve chiasm tract body (thalamus) (occipital lobe) (e) Collateral pathways leave the thalamus and go to the midbrain. ,, ,, light , , ,, pupillary constriction . • FIGURE 10-31 Neural pathways for vision and the pupillary reflex. Collateral pathways synapsing in the midbrain control constriction of the pupils. then to the midbrain, where efferent neurons constrict the pie example comes from photography. Imagine a picture of a pupils in both eyes (Fig. 1O-31c). This response is known as the puppy sitting in the foreground amid a field of wildflowers. If consensual reflex and is mediated by parasympathetic fibers only the puppy and the flowers immediately around her are in running through cranial nerve III. focus, the picture is said to have a shallow depth of field. If the puppy and the wildflowers all the way ba ck to the horizon are CONCEPT CHECK in focus, the picture has full depth of field. Full depth of field is created by constricting the pupil (or the diaphragm on a 25. Use the neural pathways in Figure 10-31c to answer the fol­ camera) so that only a narrow beam of light enters the eye. In lowing questions. this way, a greater depth of the image is focused on the retina. (a) Why does shining light into one eye cause pupillary con­ striction in both eyes? (b) If you shine a light in the left eye and get pupillary con­ The lens Focuses light on the Retina striction in the right eye but not in the left eye, what can When light enters the eye, it passes through the cornea and you conclude about the afferent path from the left eye to the brain? About the efferent pathways to the pupils? lens prior to striking the retina. When light rays pass from air 26. Parasympathetic fibers constrict the pupils, and sympathetic into a medium of different density, such as glass or water, they fibers dilate them. This is an example of what kind of control? bend, or refract. Light entering the eye is refracted twice: first Answers p. 383 when it passes through the cornea, and again when it passes through the lens. About two-thirds of the total refraction In addition to regulating the amount of light that hits the (bending) occurs at the cornea and the remaining one-third retina, the pupils create what is known as depth of field. A sim­ occurs at the lens. Here we consider only the refraction that The Eye and Vision 369 When parallel light rays pass through a convex lens, the RUNNING PROBLEM single point where the rays converge is called the focal point (Fig. 10-32b). The distance from the center of a lens to its focal The otolaryngologist strongly suspects that Anant has Meniere's pOint is known as the focal length (or focal distance) of the disease, with excessive endolymph in the vestibular apparatus lens.

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