The slide shows a schematic section of the upper quadrant of the eye. Dashed lines show how the fluid known as aqueous humor circulates within the eye, nourishing and oxygenating the structures within the eye.
An alteration in the production or evacuation of fluid from the eye can lead to an increase in intraocular pressure and, in most cases, this leads to glaucoma.
The diagram shows the front part of the eye behind the cornea (1). The liquid is produced in cells behind the iris (2), called the ciliary body (4). The liquid formed circulates along the dashed line, passing between the iris (2) and the lens (3) (pupil) towards the front part of the eye. Once it has fed and oxygenated the inside of the cornea, it is eliminated through a canal called Schlemm's canal (5), which empties into the veins already located in the sclera (6).
Glaucoma is a neurodegenerative disease and the leading cause of irreversible blindness in the world, caused by the death of retinal ganglion neurons due to pressure.
