The eye is similar to a camera in that it perceives images from the surrounding world in order for the brain the interpret them and provide us with the experience called Vision. The retina is like the film in the camera. It is located in the eye fundus and it perceives images that converge on it as a result of the focusing action of a couple of natural lenses, i.e., the cornea and the crystalline lens. Good focusing requires a perfect balance between the power of the lenses and their distance from the Retina.

It is important to bear in mind that any of the elements in the eye may be affected by disease or injury, thus requiring specialized intervention. The Barraquer Clinic offers subspecialized services in all areas of ophthalmology dealing exclusively with specific diseases of the eye, the lids and the orbit.

It is like cellophane paper and lines the white portion of the eye and the inside of the lids.

This structure prevents excess light from entering the eye. It varies in color depending on heredity (blue, brown or green), it is located between the anterior chamber and the crystalline lens and it has a round central opening called the pupil.

This is a lentil-like lens located inside the eye, exactly behind the pupil and it is called “crystalline” because it is normally clear. It allows the eye to focus on the objects in the visual field. It focuses images on the retina, from where they are transmitted to the brain through the optic nerve.

It is the most anterior and clear layer of the eye, similar to the glass cover on a watch. It is a very specialized tissue designed to refract and transmit light inside the eyeball. It has 48,33 diopters of convergent power, meaning that it is responsible for most of the eye’s refractive power.

There are six external eye muscles that attach to the sclera and enable us to follow objects in all positions. There are four rectii muscles (superior, inferior, medial and lateral) and two oblique muscles for rotational movements. Deviations called strabismus occur when the muscles are out of balance.

It is the outermost layer of the eye seen as the “white part”

It is a gelatinous substance that fills the eyeball behind the crystalline lens. It becomes watery with age and may give rise to the appearance “muscae volantantes”.

It is the portion of the Retina that allows us to distinguish fine details clearly. The fovea or central portion of the macula is responsible for 90% of our ability to discriminate. It is very important and even the slightest disorders may cause visual losses.

It is the “wire” that connects the eye with the brain and transmits the information processed by the Retina. Its multiple fibers travel to different areas of the cerebral cortex allowing us not only to see but also to comprehend what we see. The brain interprets the images perceived by de eye.

It is the black circle found in the center of the brown, blue or green iris. It acts like the diaphragm of a picture camera, regulating the amount of light that enters the eye. It contracts when there is excess lighting and dilates in the dark.

It is located between the Retina on the inside and the Sclera on the outside.

It consists of three parts: the iris, which varies in color from person to person (brown, blue, green, yellow), the ciliary body, and the choroid. The conditions in which there is inflammation of any of these parts is called “Uveitis”

They are very important for protecting the eye, maintaining moisture and preventing the entrance of foreign particles. Without the eyelids the eyes become dry and the cornea becomes hazy very quickly, not to mention the damage that could be caused by particles such as ash and others in the environment. Blinking is an automatic reflex that maintains the tear film and increases its flow as a way to protect the eye when an object comes close. Multiple disorders may affect the eyelids, including infections, wounds or tumors, but specialists are trained to treat them successfully.

It is a micro drainage system that prevents tears from leaving the eyes and rolling down the cheeks. It consists of two entry points, two connecting tubes, a collecting ampoule and an outflow canal into the nose. It is located inside the eyelids on the side of the nose. When we cry, the system’s capacity is exceeded and tears roll down the cheeks and also come out through the nose.

The lachrymal system may malfunction in children and in adults because of several reasons that require adequate expert management by an ophthalmologist specialized in the lachrymal ducts.

The orbit is the facial bony structure where the eyes are lodged and protected: externally, its upper portion is the edge of the “eyebrow”, the “temple” is its lateral portion on the outside and its lower portion is the edge of the “cheek”. Inside the orbital cavity, a fat pad surrounds the eye and protects it against vibration. Additionally, it includes other structures such as ocular muscles, glands and blood vessels. The optic nerve leaves the orbit through the back in its path to the brain.

The bones of the orbit may break as a result of injuries to the face and compress the muscles or damage de optic nerve.