The Flubbery Eye

For my last blog, I will discuss the eye and then give you more information for continuing your cat dissections. Because the cat has such a small eye, our class uses a cow’s eye in order to see all the different parts.
The eye is an amazing organ that consists of a very complex structure. When we were first given the eye we were a little grossed out. Looking down at an unmoving eye with eyelashes still attached is a little unnerving. We began by making a small incision on the side of the eye with a scalpel. As the pressure of the knife pierced the thick wall of the eye, the change in pressure caused a release of aqueous humor, the watery substance that helps maintain the shape of the eye. As the aqueous humor dribbled out, we continued to cut the skin of the eye, making a complete circle. Once the two sections were separated, we began looking at the side with the lens. We noticed that the solution became thicker; the consistency was between jello and water. The more gel like solution is called vitreous humor. It felt cold and slid between my fingers as I removed it. The slime looked almost like a clear version of flubber.

The lens is directly behind the colored part of the eye and looks like the inside of a white jellybean that someone had sucked the harder sugar covering off of. It is surrounded by the dark capillary bed that gives the eye its needed nutrients. On the opposite side of the eye is retina, a delicate membrane overlying the darkly pigmented choroid coat.

Want more info on the urinary system?

Want more info on the brain? (point and click to see all the different area’s!)