For being so small, our eyes sure do have a lot of very compact, very important components. Though all parts of an eye’s anatomy are critical in their own way, the function of the macula is crucial for actually seeing.
The macula is actually the central area of the retina. The macula gives us the ability to read and see things in great detail, whereas the retina provides us with peripheral vision. The macula “creates” the image that your front eye (cornea and lens) sees. The image created by the macula (with the help of lots of photoreceptors) is then sent through the optic nerve up to the brain for recognition and comprehension.
Macular degeneration is a normal part of aging and is also a leading cause of blindness in the United States. Keeping healthy vision means keeping a healthy eye. Make sure you keep up with your annual comprehensive eye exams. These evaluations done by your eye doctor are crucial to monitoring long-term eye health and identifying any problems early on to preserve sight whenever possible.
Words to Know:
Retina: The light sensitive layer of tissue that lines the back of the eye.
Macula: The portion of eye at the center of the retina that processes sharp, clear, straight-ahead vision.
Photoreceptors: The cells in the retina that respond to light.