Anterior eye: sagittal section (English)

Sagittal section of the anterior structures of the eyeball, conjunctiva and eyelids. Directly adjacent to the cornea is the bulbar conjunctiva, a mucous membrane which lines the anterior surface of the eyeball and continues along the inner surface of the eyelids as the palpebral conjunctiva. Also depicted in the image are the numerous layers composing the eyelid: outermost the skin and eyelashes (cilia), followed by a layer of subcutaneous tissue, skeletal muscle, tarsal plate and innermost, the palpebral conjunctiva. The skeletal muscle within the eyelid is mainly fibres of the palpebral portion of the orbicularis oculi muscle, which surrounds the eye and acts as a type of sphincter, as it closes the eyes upon contraction. The tarsal plate is a plate of dense connective tissue, responsible for the crescent-shaped form of the eyelid, conforming to the convex anterior surface of the eyeball.