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Optic part of retina: anatomy, location and function

The optic part of the retina is the light-sensitive neural layer lining the back of the eye. It converts light into neural signals through rods and cones and processes them before sending them via retinal ganglion cells along the optic nerve.

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Structures

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Highlighted in the model: Optic part of retina. Click any part to read about it, or switch off “Highlight topic” to see the whole body. 3D data: BodyParts3D, © The Database Center for Life Science, CC BY 4.0; meshes simplified and recoloured. The model is an adult male.

Optic part of retina at a glance

What it is
The optic part of the retina is the light-sensitive neural layer lining the back of the eye.
Location
It lines the inner surface of the posterior eyeball, extending forward to the ora serrata.
Function
It converts light into neural signals through rods and cones and processes them before sending them via retinal ganglion cells along the optic nerve.
Body system
Eye & ear · paired (left and right)
FMA ID
FMA58608 (Foundational Model of Anatomy)

Key facts

  • Rods mediate dim-light vision, cones colour and detail.
  • Fovea of the macula gives the sharpest vision.
  • The optic disc is the blind spot.
  • Light passes through the inner layers to reach the photoreceptors, which rest on the retinal pigment epithelium.
  • The inner retina is supplied by the central retinal artery and the outer retina by the choroid.

Clinical relevance

Retinal detachment is an ophthalmic emergency.

Structures next to the optic part of retina

The nearest named structures in the 3D model, measured from the centre of each part:

References

  1. Foundational Model of Anatomy: Optic part of retina (FMA58608). EMBL-EBI Ontology Lookup Service.
  2. OpenStax. Anatomy and Physiology 2e, §14.1 Sensory Perception. Rice University, 2022.
  3. Mitsuhashi N. et al. (2009). BodyParts3D: 3D structure database for anatomical concepts. Nucleic Acids Research 37, D782–D785. Data © The Database Center for Life Science, CC BY 4.0.

Related anatomy

Explore the whole body in the interactive 3D human anatomy model, or browse the A–Z list of human structures.