In the

anatomy Anatomy () is the branch of morphology concerned with the study of the internal structure of organisms and their parts. Anatomy is a branch of natural science that deals with the structural organization of living things. It is an old scien ...

of the eye, the ciliary processes are formed by the inward folding of the various layers of the

choroid The choroid, also known as the choroidea or choroid coat, is a part of the uvea, the vascular layer of the eye. It contains connective tissues, and lies between the retina and the sclera. The human choroid is thickest at the far extreme rear o ...

, viz. the choroid proper and the lamina basalis, and are received between corresponding foldings of the suspensory ligament of the lens.

Anatomy

They are arranged in a circle, and form a sort of frill behind the iris, around the margin of the

lens A lens is a transmissive optical device that focuses or disperses a light beam by means of refraction. A simple lens consists of a single piece of transparent material, while a compound lens consists of several simple lenses (''elements'') ...

. They vary from sixty to eighty in number, lie side by side, and may be divided into large and small; the former are about 2.5 mm. in length, and the latter, consisting of about one-third of the entire number, are situated in spaces between them, but without regular arrangement. They are attached by their periphery to three or four of the ridges of the orbiculus ciliaris, and are continuous with the layers of the choroid: their opposite extremities are free and rounded, and are directed toward the posterior chamber of the eyeball and circumference of the lens. In front, they are continuous with the periphery of the iris. Their posterior surfaces are connected with the suspensory ligament of the lens.

Function

The ciliary processes produce aqueous humour.

References

External links

Histology at une.edu
* * http://www.lab.anhb.uwa.edu.au/mb140/CorePages/eye/eye.htm#iris {{Authority control Human eye anatomy