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Home Books Junqueira’s Basic Histology: Text and Atlas, 15e

Chapter 23: The Eye & Ear: Special Sense Organs

INTRODUCTION

Information about the external world is conveyed to the central nervous system (CNS) from sensory receptors. Chemoreceptive cells for the senses of taste and smell were discussed with the digestive and respiratory system (see Chapters 15 and 17, respectively) and the various mechanoreceptors that mediate the sense of touch were presented with the skin (see Chapter 18). This chapter describes the eye, both its photoreceptors and auxiliary structures, and the ear that mediates the senses of equilibrium and hearing via mechanoreceptors in the vestibulocochlear apparatus.

EYES: THE PHOTORECEPTOR SYSTEM

Eyes (Figure 23–1) are highly developed photosensitive organs for analyzing the form, intensity, and color of light reflected from objects and providing the sense of sight. Protected within the orbits of the skull which also contain adipose cushions, each eyeball consists externally of a tough, fibrous globe, which maintains an eye’s overall shape. Internally the eye contains transparent tissues that refract light to focus the image, a layer of photosensitive cells, and a system of neurons that collect, process, and transmit visual information to the brain.

FIGURE 23–1

Internal anatomy of the eye.

image
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The sagittal section of an eye shows the interrelationships among the major ocular structures, the three major layers or tunics of the wall, important regions within those layers, and the refractive elements (cornea, lens, and vitreous). (Reproduced, with permission, from McKinley M, O'Loughlin VD. Human Anatomy. 2nd ed. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill; 2008; McKinley M, O'Loughlin VD. Human Anatomy. 3rd ed. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill; 2012; McKinley MP, O'Loughlin VD, Bidle TS. Anatomy & Physiology: An Integrative Approach. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill; 2013; McKinley MP, O'Loughlin VD, Bidle TS. Anatomy & Physiology: An Integrative Approach. 2nd ed. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill; 2016).

Each eye is composed of three concentric tunics or layers (Table 23–1):

  • A tough external fibrous layer consisting of the sclera and the transparent cornea;

  • A middle vascular layer consisting of the choroid, ciliary body, and iris; and

  • An inner sensory layer, the retina, which communicates with the cerebrum through the posterior optic nerve (Figure 23–1).

TABLE 23–1Tunics of the eye.
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TABLE 23–1 Tunics of the eye.
  Structures Components Function
image Fibrous Tunic (External Layer)
Sclera Dense irregular connective tissue

Supports eye shape

Protects delicate internal structures

Extrinsic eye muscle attachment site
Cornea Two layers of epithelium with organized connective tissue in between

Protects anterior surface of the eye

Refracts (bends) incoming light
Vascular Tunic or Uvea (Middle Layer)
Choroid Areolar connective tissue; highly vascularized

Supplies nourishment to retina

Pigment absorbs extraneous light
Ciliary body Ciliary smooth muscle and ciliary processes; covered with a secretory epithelium

Holds suspensory ligaments ...

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