WEEK 4: DEVELOPMENT OF THE EYE

Veterinary Development Anatomy [Embryology] (VANT 103)

1.1 DEVELOPMENT OF THE EYE

● The eyeball has three layers. The
innermost layer is the retina. The middle
las anteriorly into the ciliary body (CB)
which contains bundles of smooth muscle
cells that are involved in accommodation.
Ciliary processes (CP) project off of the
ciliary body. The anterior-most part of the
uvea is the iris (I). The retina (R) forms a
large portion of the inner wall of the eye.
The retina contains the photosensitive
rods and cones and related neurons that
send visual images to the optic nerve. Anteriorly, at a point called the ora serrata (OS), the
neuronal components of the retina are lost and are replaced by a single layer of
non-pigmented cuboidal cells. The large chamber labeled “V” is the vitreous chamber
containing a gelatinous vitreous humor. Anterior to the vitreous chamber is the lens (L) that
functions as a secondary refractor of light. Ligamentous zonules attach the lens to the ciliary
processes. The chambers anterior to the lens contain aqueous humor, which is elaborated by
the ciliary processes. The posterior chamber (PC) is located between the zonules and the iris.
The anterior chamber (AC) is located between the iris and the cornea. The conjunctiva is a
mucous membrane that begins at the cornea-sclera junction [the limbus (L)] and covers part
of the schlera [bulbar conjunctiva (B)] and then reflects onto the inner surface of the eyelid as
the palpebral conjunctiva (P). yer is the uvea. The outer layer is the sclera and cornea.
● The wall of the eye consists of three layers. The sclera (S) forms the posterior 5/6th of the
outer wall and is continuous with the cornea (C). The middle wall is called the uvea and consists
of several components. The posterior 2/3rds of the uvea is the choroid layer (Ch). The uvea
expand

1.2 DEVELOPMENT OF THE RETINA AND THE OPTIC NERVE

● The eyes begin to develop from a population of cells in the anterior
neural plate.
● These cells make up the eye fields/ optic fields
● Optic field, a single median region of the neural plate ectoderm near
the rostral margin of the head, by tissue interaction between the
optic field and head mesoderm form two lateral eye-forming regions
● The two lateral eye forming regions, after the formation of the five
brain vesicles, form two optic vesicles in the diencephalon and
connect with the diencephalon through the optic stalk

• The eye fields are in the prosencephalon • Optic grooves (sulci) form as some of the

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 (forebrain). cells in the eye fields invaginate.
• Rapid growth of the prosencephalon carries
this region of the brain forward, along with
the eye fields.

• The optic groove is easily visualized in this • The edges of the cranial neural folds
fronto-lateral view. (arrows) approach each other in the midline
as the neuroectoderm of the optic groove
comes into close contact with the surface
ectoderm in the area indicated.

• A cut through the embryo demonstrates • After division of the cranial neural tube
the relationship of the optic groove to this into 5 regions, (the line indicates the
ectoderm. location of the cut.)
• The optic grooves form the optic stalks
and the optic vesicles.
• The optic vesicles connect with the
diencephalon through the optic stalk.

• Contact between the neural ectoderm of • Cutting the embryo in the indicated plane

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 the optic vesicle and the surface ectoderm illustrates the lens placode and the
results in induction of the lens placode. adjacent portion of the optic vesicle as it
begins to invaginate.

• The invaginating lens placode forms the • Contact between the surface ectoderm
lens vesicle that pinches off the surface and the budding optic vesicle induces the
ectoderm. Invagination of the optic vesicle
forms the bilayered optic cup that remains differentiation of a population of cells that
connected to the forebrain via the optic will form the lens placode.
stalk. • The lens placode invaginates, forming the
lens vesicle. Concurrently, the optic vesicle
becomes the optic cup.
• The lens vesicle eventually becomes the
lens and the two layers of the optic cup
become the neural and pigmented layers
of the retina.

• The optic vesicle and the optic stalk • A cut in the plane of the choroid fissure
invaginate, forming the choroid fissure illustrates the lens vesicle and the hyaloid
inferiorly. artery.
• This diagram represents the cut shown by
the dotted line. The hyaloid artery courses
through the choroid fissure.

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• The hyaloid vasculature surrounds the back • The anterior chamber of the eye forms as
of the lens. Following separation of the a space develops between the lens and its
lens from the surface, the posterior lens closely associated iridopupillary membrane
fibers elongate to obliterate the lens cavity and the cornea.
and the cornea begins to differentiate.
• Surface ectoderm that overlies the
invaginated lens vesicle by induction form
the lens vesicle and optic cup, forms the
corneal epithelium.

• The cornea consists of an outer epithelial • As the retina develops, the pigmented layer
layer derived from surface ectoderm and becomes relatively thinner while the neural
inner layers derived from neural crest portion thickens.
cells.

● As the neural portion develops, it • The iris forms from the outer rim of the
differentiates into distinct cell layers optic cup.

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 ● At the rim of the optic cup, the inner and ● Folding of these layers results in
outer layers become closely associated. formation of the ciliary processes.

1.3 OTHER PARTS OF THE EYE AND THEIR EMBRYONIC ORIGINS

1.4 MALFORMATIONS OF THE EYE

● Cyclopia - development of a single median eye in the center of the head due to failure of the
optic field to separate into 2 lateral eye-forming regions
● Anophthalmia - absence of eye due to failure of the optic vesicles to form or due to severe
interference with the normal growth of the optic cup
● Microphthalmia - small undeveloped eye caused by vitamin A deficiency in the mother;
common in pig, dog and cattle
● Medial strabismus - medial deviation of the eyeball; common in siamese cats
● Cataract - loss of clarity of the lens; mainly affects dogs