Our eyes are amazing. Since the beginning of time, man has wondered how we really see. It was not until recent history however, that we had the ability to truly understand how these amazing organs really work.
Long ago many early Greek’s believed that eyes worked by projecting beams of light however, by the 11th century early scientists were realizing how our eyes really see. Today, advanced technology has allowed us the ability to not only understand how they work but how to fix them as well. So how do they really work?
The Greeks were almost right, sight does involve light rays but rather than coming out of our eyes, sight relies on light going into our eyes. Sight begins when light rays reflect off an object and enter our eye. When this light enters our eye, it is bent by our cornea (the clear layer over our eye), through the pupil and onto the retina in the back of our eye. On its way, the pupil or colored part of the eye, expands and contracts on its way through the pupil allowing more or restricting some of the light into our eye.
The retina is a thin layer of tissue on the back of our eye which contains over 2 million light sensing nerves called rods and cones. These nerves afford us clear detailed vision in light (cones) and side or peripheral vision as well as night vision (rods). The cells then convert this light into electrical impulses which are ultimately sent to the brain where the image is “perceived”.
Along the way, any little thing can easily go wrong causing distortions of these images such as common issues felt by many including nearsightedness or farsightedness. Modern technology allows us to repair parts of our eyes which fail to do their job correctly including altering the shape of the cornea, helping tear ducts produce more or less tears or removing cloudiness from the lens of our eye.
Eyes are amazing and thankfully today, quite well understood. If you are concerned with your vision, now is the time to get a check-up. If you live near Cheboygan and are looking for an ophthalmologist in Cheboygan MI, contact Alpine Eye Care. Offering a wide variety of services including regular eye care as well as procedures to help repair and prevent further damage to your eyes, Alpine Eye Care is your complete eye care provider. Contact us at 877.SEE.2020 or online here to find out more about how we can help you.