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How does the eye work?
Quick answer
The eye works like a camera: light enters through the cornea and pupil, the lens focuses it onto the retina at the back, and light-sensitive cells there convert it into nerve signals the brain reads as an image. The cornea and lens bend (focus) incoming light.
Step by step
- The cornea and lens bend (focus) incoming light.
- The iris adjusts the pupil to control how much light enters.
- The retina's rods and cones turn light into electrical signals.
- The optic nerve carries those signals to the brain, which builds the image.
People also ask
How does the eye focus?
The lens changes shape to bend light precisely onto the retina — a process called accommodation.
What are rods and cones?
Light-sensitive cells in the retina: rods handle dim light and motion, cones handle colour and detail.
Why don't we see the world upside down?
The lens projects an inverted image on the retina; the brain flips and interprets it the right way up.
Part of the guide: How Your Body Works →