Development of eye

To MBBS 2nd year

Dr. Laxman Khanal
Assistant professor, department of anatomy
BPKIHS, Dharan
02-04-2017
Eye development : start at Day 22.
Before NT closure
- Day 25 to Day 28
 Optic groove Optic vesicle

Diencephalon Lens placode Optic stalk Optic cup

of forebrain

PAX 6
Key regulatory gene for
eye development.
1. Fibrous covering Equator
Limbus
2. Vascular covering (#ICC)
3. Nervous covering
• Key steps - Formation of optic vesicle and optic stalk.

• Optic vesicle/ stalk – neuro-ectodermal in origin.

• Lumen of the optic vesicle is connected with the 3rd ventricle through the
lumen of optic stalk.
• As the optic vesicle comes in contact with the surface ectoderm, it
induces it to thicken and forms lens placode (primordium of lens), so lens
is ectodermal (surface ectoderm) in origin.

• As the lens vesicle is being formed, optic vesicle invaginates to form

double-layered optic cup.
 Up to now…..
• Optic vesicle
• Optic cup
• Optic stalk
• lens placode
• Choroidal fissure

Choroidal fissure
• Vascular mesoderm invade the fissure.
• This mesoderm later form hyaloid vessels &
vitrous humor.
• Only the proximal part of these vessels persists
as a central artery/vein of retina
Development of Retina- two layers of optic cup
Development of optic nerve- optic stalk (axons of ganglion cells)

Retinal detachment:
Separation of pigment epithelium from the neural layer.
 • Ora serrata is the junction between
photosensitive and non-photosensitive
retina.
• Lies between limbus and equator of eye
ball.

Ora serrata
 Coloboma
Retinal detachment • Failure to close choroidal fissure
• Medical emergency • Key hole appearance in iris
• Occurs between 2 layers of retina • Follow AD inheritance
@ 7th week
Development of optic nerve

• Second cranial nerve

• Optic nerve encloses retinal vessels
• Formed by axons of ganglionic cells
• Covered by meningeal layers
• Myelinated by Oligodendrocytes
Development of-
• Iris
• Ciliary body
Development of Iris
Epithelium: both layers of retina (ant part)
Stroma: mesenchyme
Muscles: outer layer of retina
 Development of ciliary body
Epithelium: both layers of retina (ant part)
Stroma: mesenchyme
Muscles: mesenchyme

Aqueous humor
Derivatives of optic stalk Derivatives of optic cup • Retina
• Dilator pupillae
Optic nerve • Sphincter pupillae
• Epithelium of the iris
• Epithelium of ciliary body
 Mesoderm
Posteriorly
divide into two layers
Anteriorly
Vacuolization occurs

Development of-
• Sclera
• Choroid
• Cornea
• Conjunctiva
• Eyelids
Surface Ectoderm
Double folding occurs
Double folding of surface
ectoderm give rise to the
conjunctiva and eye lids.
Surface Ectoderm
• Outer epithelium of cornea
• Conjunctiva
• Lining of eye lids
• Tarsal gland
• Eye lashes
Persistent iridopupillary membrane Congenital cataract
TORCH infection
 Aniridia

Synophthalmia
or
Loss of midline structure Cyclopia
• Alcohol
• Maternal DM
• Mutation of SHH (sonic hedgehog)
• Abnormal cholesterol metabolism
 Conclusion
• The eyes begin to develop as a pair of outpocketings on each side of
the forebrain at day 22.
• The optic vesicles contact the surface ectoderm and induce lens
formation.
• Through a groove (the choroid Fissure), the hyaloid artery (later the
central artery of the retina) enters the eye
• PAX6, the master gene for eye development.
• Cornea develops from both ectoderm and mesoderm.