How the Eye Works

Have you ever wondered exactly how your eyes help you see the world around you? Though a relatively small organ, the eyes are incredibly complex. Some elements within your eye must work perfectly in tandem to help you see clearly, and even tiny imperfections in this process can lead to vision problems. Keep reading to learn more about how the eye sees and what can cause them to see poorly. If you’re experiencing vision troubles, contact an Orlando eye specialist for an exam today.

How the Eye Sees

The eyes rely on a complex process to help focus light and translate that reflected light into recognizable images. The process begins with the cornea, the clear front layer on your eye. The cornea has a dome-like shape, which bends the light as it passes through and helps your eye focus. Some of the light that passes through the cornea will pass through the pupil, opening at the center of your eye. The space around your eye (which defines your eye color) is known as the iris; the iris can expand and contract to change the pupil size and control how much light is allowed through. So, when you notice your pupils growing larger in dim lighting, your irises change shape!

After passing through the pupil, the light will now pass through a clear inner part of the eye known simply as the lens. The lens works with the cornea to focus the light properly on the retina, a light-sensitive layer of tissue at the back of the eye. The retina contains special cells called photoreceptors, which are made up of rods and cones, and are responsible for translating the light into electrical impulses. These electrical signals are sent through the optic nerve and up to the brain, where they are processed into an image you can recognize.

While this is a relatively simplified version of a complex biological process, it provides a pretty clear picture of how many different parts of your eye must be working for you to see a clear image.

How the Eye Fails to See

With this understanding of how an eye works, you can begin to understand how the process can go wrong. The most common vision problem people experience is nearsightedness or farsightedness, so let’s discuss these issues in particular, and how eye care services in Orlando, FL, can help. As we stated earlier, the cornea is a dome-shaped outer layer that helps focus the light as it passes through your eye. That dome shape needs to be incredibly precise to focus that light properly and make a clear image.

Nearsightedness and farsightedness can occur when the cornea does not have the proper domed shape. The further “off” the shape of the cornea, the worse your vision will be. It is because the light is not focused correctly. Think of it as trying to look at something very far away through a magnifying glass. The lens of the magnifying glass bends the light to focus on things close to you, so it can’t create a clear picture of distant objects. A similar thing can occur when your cornea or lens is not properly shaped.

This issue is easily corrected with an eye exam in Orlando and corrective lenses, which help refocus that light more accurately on your retina.

About Bay Hill Eye Care

At Bay Hill Eye Care, we have a professional understanding of detecting these tiny imperfections that impact your vision and the services you need to help correct those problems. If you need professional eye care in Orlando, FL, contact us at Bay Hill Eye Care immediately. We are happy to have an eye care professional explain these concepts or evaluate your eye health.