The aqueous is the thin, watery fluid that fills the space between the cornea and the iris (anterior chamber). It is continually produced by the ciliary body, the part of the eye that lies just behind the iris. This fluid nourishes the cornea and the lens and gives the front of the eye its form and shape.
The choroid lies between the retina and sclera. It is composed of layers of blood vessels that nourish the back of the eye. The choroid connects with the ciliary body toward the front of the eye and is attached to edges of the optic nerve at the back of the eye.
The ciliary body lies just behind the iris. Attached to the ciliary body are tiny fiber "guy wires" called zonules. The crystalline lens is suspended inside the eye by the zonular fibers. Nourishment for the ciliary body comes from blood vessels which also supply the iris. .
One function of the ciliary body is the production of aqueous humor, the clear fluid that fills the front of the eye. It also controls accommodation by changing the shape of the crystalline lens. When the ciliary body contracts, the zonules relax. This allows the lens to thicken, increasing the eye's ability to focus up close. When looking at a distant object, the ciliary body relaxes, causing the zonules to contract. The lens becomes thinner, adjusting the eye's focus for distance vision. .
With age, everyone develops a condition known as presbyopia. This occurs as the ciliary body muscle and lens gradually lose elasticity, causing difficulty reading.
The conjunctiva is the thin, transparent tissue that covers the outer surface of the eye. It begins at the outer edge of the cornea, covering the visible part of the sclera, and lining the inside of the eyelids. It is nourished by tiny blood vessels that are nearly invisible to the naked eye. .
The conjunctiva also secretes oils and mucous that moisten and lubricate the eye.
The cornea is the transparent, dome-shaped window covering the front of the eye.
