Retinal Detachment »
What is the retina?
The retina is an extremely thin tissue that lines the inside of the back of the eye. When we look around, light from the objects we are trying to see enters the eye. The light image is focused onto the retina by the cornea and the lens. This light striking the retina causes a complex biochemical change within layers of the retina and this, in turn, stimulates an electrical response in other layers of the retina. Nerve endings within the retina transmit these signals to the brain through the optic nerve. Within specific areas of the brain, this electrical energy is processed to allow us both to see and to understand what we are seeing. The retina has been compared to the film of a camera. However, film, once used, has a permanent image on it. The retina continually renews itself chemically and electrically, allowing us to see millions of different images every day without them being superimposed.
The retina is about the size of a pos...
Read the Retinal Detachment article »