Our eyes – they are the most beautiful organs of our body that not only help us look at the beautiful colourful world that God has created, but also helps us look beautiful when we have beautiful eyes, our entire look is enhanced. And for those unfortunate ones who don’t have their eyesight (whether total or partial), their world is turned upside down. Without eyesight, we can’t imagine doing even the simplest chores! Imagine those who are born without their eyesight! You should thank God that you have your eyes and vision just perfect.
But, have you wondered how these small little organs help us see the huge world around us? The way these eyes have been created is amazing with such complicated and delicate parts and connections. There are a variety of different parts that work together to help us visualize. The main concept of vision is converting the light bouncing off everything around us into a continuous stream of images. But, how the entire concept works, we will explain to you in this blog.
Parts of the eye that help us visualize
- Cornea forms the very front of the eye, which is a clear layer that allows light inside.
- Iris is the next colourful circular muscle that controls the amount of light getting in by contracting and relaxing, depending upon how bright the light is.
- The lens lies inside the front of the eye that changes its shape in order to focus on objects different distances away.
- Next is the retina that lies at the back of the eye, covered in light-sensitive rods and cones, where the light is focused.
- Last is the optic nerve that takes the information received by the retina to the brain so that it can be converted into an image.
How does the eye mechanism work?
When we look, the light surrounding every object hits the cornes, which then sends the same to the iris and lens. All the information that is then collected by the retina in each eye goes up to the optic nerve, and then to the visual cortex of the brain, which is located in the occipital lobe in the back. Both the left and right eyes produce slightly different images, because of their individual locations. When the images of both these eyes are combined, it creates a 3D image that gives us depth perception. Also, the way we recognize motion is because the entire process described above occurs multiple times a second!
How to keep your eyes healthy?
Okay now, ever since you have been small, your parents, your relatives, your teachers, and your eye doctors have always been telling you to keep your eyes healthy. They would advise you to eat green leafy vegetables, have a good diet, stay away from any kinds of radiations, etc. But, do you know that our eyes in fact have a mechanism to keep themselves healthy too!? Yes, they have defense and maintenance systems built in. Our eyelids are the biggest protective features of our eyes that provide protection with the help of eyelashes and eyebrows. Also, we are advised to keep blinking at regular intervals. This is because blinking keeps the eyes moist, cleans off any debris, and blocks more debris from coming in. Then, we also have tear glands, which are responsible to produce tears that can help wash away dust, microbes, and contaminants. These glands not only work when we cry, but also constantly to maintain the crucial tear film on the eye’s surface. In addition, the tear ducts in our lower eyelids catch the extra fluid and drain it away, to keep everything clean.
Isn’t it amazing how all the parts of the eyes work so collaboratively to perform their own respective functions!? Not only do the parts of the eyes work well, but also, the two eyes work as a team, involving the brain to help us process the light and produce images. But, if anything in the eyes goes wrong, we feel so desperate and anxious to have it repaired. This is when we need an eye specialist to help us identify the problem and treat it. Arohi Eye Hospital is the perfect eye specialist in Mumbai who can help treat a variety of eye problems, may it be through medications, therapies, or even surgery! And remember, even though your eyes work to maintain themselves well, you definitely need to still take additional care of your eyes, especially as you age!
Dr. Shradha Goel
Dr. Shradha Goel, Chief Surgeon at Arohi Eye Hospital, is a renowned Phaco-LASIK surgeon with over 10,000 surgeries to her credit. She earned her MBBS from Grant Medical College, Mumbai, and a Master’s in Ophthalmology from Kasturba Medical College, Manipal. As a member of the American Academy of Ophthalmology, Dr. Goel specialises in LASIK, refractive errors, and cataract treatments.