What is the sclera?

What is the sclera?

• A. A dense collagenous connective tissue providing structural support and protection to the eye.
• B. The vascular layer that nourishes the retina.
• C. The clear front layer that refracts light.
• D. The inner neural layer containing photoreceptors.

Answer: (A)

The sclera is the fibrous, outer wall of the eye. It’s made of dense collagenous connective tissue that gives the eyeball its shape and offers sturdy protection for the delicate inner structures. This tough, white layer also provides attachment points for the extraocular muscles that move the eye and is continuous with the cornea at the limbus. In contrast, the vascular layer nourishing the retina is the choroid (part of the uvea), the clear front layer that refracts light is the cornea, and the inner neural layer containing photoreceptors is the retina.

The sclera is the fibrous, outer wall of the eye. It’s made of dense collagenous connective tissue that gives the eyeball its shape and offers sturdy protection for the delicate inner structures. This tough, white layer also provides attachment points for the extraocular muscles that move the eye and is continuous with the cornea at the limbus.

In contrast, the vascular layer nourishing the retina is the choroid (part of the uvea), the clear front layer that refracts light is the cornea, and the inner neural layer containing photoreceptors is the retina.