Unit 11, 12 Muscles of the Eye
- Definition - Common Eye Movement Disorders
- Extrinsic & Intrinsic Muscles of the Eye - Video (Extraocular Muscles Eye Anatomy)
A muscle is a piece of tissue inside your body which connects two bones or other structures and which
you use when you make a movement; a tissue composed of bundles of elongated cells capable of
contraction and relaxation to produce movement in an organ or part. Strength, force.
The extraocular muscles are the six muscles that control movement of the eye and one muscle that
controls eyelid elevation. The actions of the six muscles responsible for eye movement depend on the
position of the eye at the time of muscle contraction.
Since only a small part of the eye called the fovea provides sharp vision, the eye must move to follow
a target. Eye movements must be precise and fast. This is seen in scenarios like reading, where the
reader must shift gaze constantly. Although under voluntary control, most eye movement is
accomplished without conscious effort. Precisely how the integration between voluntary and
involuntary control of the eye occurs is a subject of continuing research. It is known, however, that the
vestibulo-ocular reflex plays an important role in the involuntary movement of the eye.
These muscles, although small and not particularly strong, are exceptionally fast and precise. They
allow the eye to perform many complex tasks, including tracking moving objects, scanning for objects,
and maintaining a stable image on the retina.
Another important function is tracking moving objects across the visual field. The brain sends many
signals to the muscles of the eye to quickly adjust the eye’s position so that a moving object of interest
remains within the fovea and can be seen clearly. Finally, the muscles of the eye adjust the position of
each eye subtly to produce a single, binocular image. This process is known as vergence, and prevents
the double vision and blurred vision that would result from different images being presented to the
visual cortex of the brain. Looking down at the tip of your nose or crossing your eyes voluntarily stops
vergence, producing double vision and an uncomfortable sensation.
The Extrinsic and Intrinsic Muscles of the Eye
Extrinsic muscles = situated outside the eye ball = Extraocular muscles
Intrinsic muscles = situated inside the eye ball = Intraocular muscles
Striated
There are six extrinsic or extraocular muscles attached to the eye ball and the walls of the orbital cavity,
four straight (rectus), two oblique
medial rectus superior oblique
lateral rectus inferior oblique
superior rectus
inferior rectus
Looking in a particular direction - voluntary
Coordination, convergence, accomodation - autonomic control
Lateral rectus - rotates the eyeball outwards -- Abducent nerve (6th cranial nerve)
Medial rectus - rotates the eyeball inwards -- Oculomotor nerve (3rd)
Superior rectus - rotates the eyeball upwards -- Oculomotor nerve (3rd)
Inferior rectus - rotates the eyeball downwards -- Oculomoteor nerve (3rd)
Inferior oblique - rotates the eyeball upwards and outwards -- Oculomotor nerve (3rd)
Superior oblique - rotates the eyeball downwards and outwards -- Trochlear nerve (4th)
Intrinsic or intraocular muscles
Ciliary muscle represents the part of the ciliary body, non-striated muscle attached through the
suspensory ligament to the lens capsule. It changes the thickness of the lens. Accommodation is the
main function. The iris has non-striated muscle fibres which constrict and dilate the pupil and regulate
the amount of light entering the eye.
Common Eye Movement Disorders
When you look at an object, you're using several muscles to move both eyes to focus on it. If
you have a problem with the muscles, the eyes don't work properly.
Strabismus
Most of us are fortunate because our eyes started to work as a team very early in infancy and have
continued to work together ever since. We are able to focus each eye on whatever we look at, regardless
of the direction, and our brain combines the picture or image from each eye into the mental picture we
actually see in three dimensions.
About two percent of every 100 children are not as fortunate. For a variety of reasons, their eyes do
not work as a team. Both eyes are not directed or focused at the same object. This condition is called
"strabismus."
The child with strabismus rarely complains. In most cases, it is the appearance of the eye that first
catches the parent's attention.
There are three basic kinds of strabismus:
esotropia, exotropia and hypertropia,
depending on which direction the eyes are
deviated.
Esotropia
The most common type of strabismus is
esotropia, which occurs when either one or
both eyes turn in toward the nose. Some
children are born with this condition. More
frequently, it starts at about age 2 1/2. When
esotropia occurs in these older children,
eyeglasses can often help to treat the condition by correcting the child's vision for farsightedness or
hyperopia.
Exotropia
Exotropia is the second most common kind of strabismus. In this condition, one or both eyes turn out.
It usually starts at age two or three. In the beginning, the eye may drift out only for a few seconds
when the child is tired or ill. It typically occurs when the child looks far away. Closing one eye in
bright sunlight when playing outside is also a common early sign.
Hypertropia
Hypertropia is the least common type of strabismus. In this condition, one eye is higher than the
other. As a result, the child often tilts or cocks his / her head to one side to get rid of the double vision
that this problem frequently causes.
Amblyopia
Amblyopia (lazy eye) is another frequent condition, occurring in about three or four of every 100
children. When a child is born with normal eyes, he or she has the potential for good vision in both
eyes, but must learn to see with each of them.
If for some reason, the child prefers to use one eye more than the other, the preferred eye learns to
see well but the other suffers from lack of use. It does not learn to see as well, even with glasses. The
non-preferred eye is said to be lazy or have amblyopia.
