Body Parts

sclera

outer protective layer of the eye; the portion seen on the anterior portion of the eyeball is referred to as the white of the eye.

cornea

transparent anterior part of the sclera, which is in front of the aqueous humor and lies over the iris.

choroid

middle layer of the eye, which is interlaced with many blood vessels.

iris

the pigmented muscular structure that allows light to pass through.

pupil

opening in the center of the iris.

lens

lies directly behind the pupil.  Its function is to focus and bend light.

retina

innermost layer of the eye, which contains the vision receptors.

aqueous humor

watery liquid found in the anterior cavity of the eye.

vitreous humor

jelly-like substance found behind the lens in the posterior cavity of the eye that maintains its shape.

meibomian glands

oil glands found in the upper and lower edges of the eyelids that help lubricate the eye.

lacrimal glands and ducts

produce and drain tears.

optic nerve

carries visual impulses from the retina to the brain.

conjunctiva

mucous membrane lining the eyelids and covering the anterior portion of the sclera.

Prefixes

bi-, bin-

two

Combining Forms

blephar/o

eyelid

conjunctiv/o

conjunctiva

cor/o, core/o, pupil/o

pupil

corne/o, kerat/o

cornea

dacry/o, lacrim/o

tear, tear duct

irid/o, iri/o

iris

ocul/o, ophthalm/o

eye

opt/o

vision

retin/o

retina

sclera/o

sclera

cry/o

cold

dipl/o

two, double

phot/o

light

ton/o

tension, pressure

Suffixes

-opia

vision (condition)

-phobia

abnormal fear of or aversion to specific things.

-plegia

paralysis

Medical Terms – not built from word parts

astigmatism

defective curvature of the refractive surface of the eye.

cataract

clouding of the lens of the eye.

chalazion

obstruction of an oil gland of the eyelid (also called meibomian cyst).

detached retina

separation of the retina from the choroid in the back of the eye.

emmetropia

normal refractive condition of the eye.

glaucoma

eye disorder characterized by optic nerve damage usually caused by the abnormal increase of intraocular pressure.  If not treated it will lead to blindness.

hyperopia

farsightedness.

macular degeneration

a progressive deterioration of the portion of the retina called the macula lutea, resulting in loss of central vision.

myopia

nearsightedness.

nyctalopia

poor vision at night or in faint light.

nystagmus

involuntary, jerking movements of the eyes.

presbyopia

impaired vision as a result of aging.

pterygium

thin tissue growing into the cornea from the conjunctiva, usually caused from sun exposure.

retinitis pigmentosa

hereditary, progressive disease marked by night blindness with atrophy and retinal pigment changes.

strabismus

abnormal condition of squint or crossed eyes caused by the visual axes not meeting at the same point.

sty

infection of an oil gland of the eyelid.  Also spelled stye and also called hordeolum).

enucleation

surgical removal of the eyeball (also, the removal of any organ that comes out clean and whole).

LASIK (laser-assisted in situ keratomileusis)

a laser procedure that reshapes the corneal tissue beneath the surface of the cornea to correct astigmatism, hyperopia, and myopia.  LASIK is a combination of Excimer laser and lamellar keratoplasty.  It differs from PRK in that it reshapes corneal tissue beneath the surface rather than on the surface.

phacoemulsification

method to remove cataracts in which an ultrasonic needle probe breaks up the lens, which is then aspirated.

PRK (photorefractive keratectomy)

a procedure for the treatment of nearsightedness in which an Excimer laser is used to reshape (flatten) the corneal surface by removing a portion of the cornea.

retinal photocoagulation

a procedure to repair tears in the retina by use of an intense, precisely focused light beam, which caused coagulation of the tissue protein.

scleral buckling

a procedure to repair a detached retina.  A strip of sclera is resected, or a fold is made in the sclera.  An exoplant is used to hold and buckle the sclera.

trabeculectomy

surgical creation of a drain to reduce intraocular pressure (used to treat glaucoma).

vitrectomy

surgical removal of all or part of the vitreous humor (used to treat diabetic retinopathy).

miotic

agent that constricts the pupil.

mydriatic

agent that dilates the pupil.

oculus dexter (OD)

medical term for right eye.

oculus sinister (OS)

medical term for left eye.

oculus uterque (OU)

medical term for each eye.

optician

a specialist who fills prescriptions for lenses (cannot prescribe lenses).

optometrist

a health professional who prescribes corrective lenses and/or eye exercises.

visual acuity (VA)

sharpness of vision for either distance or nearness.

Abbreviations

ARMD

age-related macular degeneration

Ast

astigmatism

Em

emmetropia

OD

right eye (oculus dexter)

Ophth

ophthalmology

OS

left eye (oculus sinister)

OU

each eye (oculus uterque)

VA

visual acuity