Understanding the pathway of light is essential when studying how vision works. It follows a specific route through the eye's various structures in this precise order:
- First, light passes through the cornea, which starts to bend and focus the incoming light rays.
- Next, it moves through the aqueous humor, entering through the anterior chamber right before reaching the pupil.
- Then, the light travels through the pupil, whose size is regulated by the iris to control the amount of light entering.
- After the pupil, light encounters the lens, which further focuses it, ensuring that the light rays are directed accurately.
- The focused light then passes through the vitreous humor, the gel-like substance that helps maintain the eye's shape and ensures clarity.
- Lastly, the light reaches the retina. The retina's photoreceptor cells detect the light and convert it into electrical impulses.
These impulses are then sent to the brain via the optic nerve, which processes them into the images we perceive every day.