Mammalian eye

Eye
Schematic diagram of the human eye.
Human eye seen from the front in its orbit surrounded by the eyelid and eyelashes, showing the anterior segment with the iris (light brown in this individual), pupil, and sclera visible
Details
Identifiers
Latinoculus (plural: oculi)
Anatomical terminology
1. posterior segment2. ora serrata3. ciliary muscle4. ciliary zonules5. Schlemm's canal6. pupil7. anterior chamber8. cornea9. iris10. lens cortex11. lens nucleus12. ciliary process13. conjunctiva14. inferior oblique muscle15. inferior rectus muscle16. medial rectus muscle17. retinal arteries and veins18. optic disc19. dura mater20. central retinal artery21. central retinal vein22. optic nerve23. vorticose vein24. bulbar sheath25. macula26. fovea27. sclera28. choroid29. superior rectus muscle30. retina
  1. posterior segment
  2. ora serrata
  3. ciliary muscle
  4. ciliary zonules
  5. Schlemm's canal
  6. pupil
  7. anterior chamber
  8. cornea
  9. iris
  10. lens cortex
  11. lens nucleus
  12. ciliary process
  13. conjunctiva
  14. inferior oblique muscle
  15. inferior rectus muscle
  16. medial rectus muscle
  17. retinal arteries and veins
  18. optic disc
  19. dura mater
  20. central retinal artery
  21. central retinal vein
  22. optic nerve
  23. vorticose vein
  24. bulbar sheath
  25. macula
  26. fovea
  27. sclera
  28. choroid
  29. superior rectus muscle
  30. retina

Mammals normally have a pair of eyes. Although mammalian vision is not as excellent as bird vision, it is at least dichromatic for most of mammalian species, with certain families (such as Hominidae) possessing a trichromatic color perception.

The dimensions of the eyeball vary only 1–2 mm among humans. The vertical axis is 24 mm, while the transverse is larger. At birth it is generally 16–17 mm, enlarging to 22.5–23 mm by three years of age. Between birth and age 13 the eye attains its mature size. It weighs 7.5 grams and its volume is roughly 6.5 ml. Along a line through the nodal (central) point of the eye is the optic axis, which is at a slight slant of five degrees toward the nose from the visual axis (i.e., the section going towards the focused point of the fovea).