Visible Human Transverse Section Through the Head

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The lens of the eye is made of a translucent, proteinaceous material. A suspensory ligament on either side of the lens attaches it to the ciliary muscles, 2 per eye. These muscles lie just beyond the pupillary constrictor muscle (the iris), in the same plane as the suspensory ligament. When stimulated, the muscle contracts, releasing tension on the suspensory ligament. The decrease in tension allows the lens material to form a more spherical shape, i.e. fatten in the middle.

The entire mechanism is called the accomodation reflex. It allows for near vision. The distortion fo the lens alters the focusing of light on the back of the eye, the retina.

Key points in this image
eye | lens | medial rectus | lateral rectus | ethmoid sinus | sphenoid sinus | nasal septum | temporalis muscle | brain |
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Information
Module Name: a_vm1110
Module Title: Visible Human Transverse Section Through the Head
Image Info: Gross specimen, transverse section
Created by: Lynn Bry
Contact Email:bryl@medicine.wustl.edu
Last modified: Feb 4th, 1997
Created with Annotation 1.0