Subject: Why does the CONTRACTION of ciliary muscles cause the eye lens to thicken ?

Unless I'm missing something here, I thought contraction of a muscle shortened 
it. Therefore, you would expect a contraction of the ciliary eye muscle to 
shorten the distance to the lens, thus tautening the suspensory ligaments and 
flattening the lens (for distance vision). My book tells it the other way round:
ciliary muscle contracts, suspensory ligaments slacken, lens thickens. Please 
help my confusion !

Re: Why does the CONTRACTION of ciliary muscles cause the eye lens to thicken ?