The vitreous chamber is the space in the eye occupied by

vitreous humor The vitreous body (''vitreous'' meaning "glass-like"; , ) is the clear gel that fills the space between the lens and the retina of the eyeball (the vitreous chamber) in humans and other vertebrates. It is often referred to as the vitreous humor ...

Structure

Within the vertebrate eye, there are considered to be three chambers: anterior, posterior, and vitreous. It is important to note that the eye can also be classified as having two cavities: anterior and posterior. Both the

anterior Standard anatomical terms of location are used to unambiguously describe the anatomy of animals, including humans. The terms, typically derived from Latin or Greek roots, describe something in its standard anatomical position. This position prov ...

and posterior chambers are located within the anterior cavity, while the vitreous chamber is located in the posterior cavity. The best way to distinguish between the two cavities is to use the

lens A lens is a transmissive optical device which 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''), ...

as a dividing point. The vitreous chamber is the largest of the three chambers and is located behind the lens and in front of the optic nerve. This chamber is filled with a thick, clear gel-like substance called the

(also vitreous body). The humor plays a crucial role in supporting the posterior side of the lens.

Function

The vitreous fluid, along with supporting the lens, also functions in maintaining the shape of the entire vitreous chamber and posterior cavity. It is imperative that the eye remains the proper shape to ensure that the light passing through the lens and the fluid can focus properly on the

retina The retina (from la, rete "net") is the innermost, light-sensitive layer of tissue of the eye of most vertebrates and some molluscs. The optics of the eye create a focused two-dimensional image of the visual world on the retina, which then ...

. The composition of the fluid is 99% water and contains no cells, so the light can effectively pass through without it being deflected. The fluid is often thought to be a sort of liquid lens that further focuses the light that has already passed through the lens on the way to towards the retina.

References

{{Authority control Human eye anatomy

Structure

Function

See also

References