The document summarizes the anatomy and physiology of the aqueous humour in the eye. It discusses the key structures involved - the ciliary body, posterior chamber, anterior chamber, angle of the anterior chamber, and aqueous outflow system. The ciliary body produces the aqueous humour, which flows from the posterior chamber through the pupil into the anterior chamber. It then drains out through the trabecular meshwork, Schlemm's canal, collector channels and into the episcleral veins. The aqueous humour helps maintain intraocular pressure and has metabolic, optical and clearing functions in the eye.

1. AQUEOUS HUMOUR
ANATOMY AND PHYSIOLOGY
NETRADHAMA SCHOOL OF OPTOMETRY
BSC 1ST YEAR

2. AQUEOUS HUMOUR
oThe Aqueous humour is involved with virtually all portions of
the Eye
Ciliary body
Posterior chamber
Anterior chamber
Angle of anterior chamber
Aqueous out-flow system

3. o Ciliary body
Ciliary body is the site of aqueous production

4. o Posterior chamber
Posterior chamber is a triangular space
Containing 0.06 ml of aqueous humour

5. o Anterior chamber
Anterior chamber is small cavity line behind the cornea
in front of iris
It contains 0.25 ml of aqueous humour
2.5 mm deep in centre

6. It is bounded by
 Anterior to posterior surface of cornea
 Posterior to anterior surface of ciliary body and iris
 Communicates through the pupil with posterior chamber

8. o Angle Of Anterior Chamber
At the peripheral margin of anterior chamber is the
corner between cornea , sclera , ciliary body and iris this
is called the Angel of Anterior Chamber
Trabecular meshwork located in channel for the drainage
of the aqueous from posterior to anterior chamber

9. Peripheral recess of anterior chamber
Formed mainly by Trabecular meshwork
Formed posterior to anterior by
 Ciliary band
 Scleral spur
 Teabecular meshwork
 Schwalbes line

10.  Ciliary Band
• It is the most posterior structure formed by anterior
most part of ciliary body between its attachment to the
scleral spur and the insertion of iris .

11.  Scleral spur
• It is the posterior portion of the scleral sulcus which
usually appears as a prominent white line on gonioscopy
• On it attached ciliary body posteriorly and corneoscleral
meshwork anteriorly

12.  Trabecular meshwork
• It is seen as a band just anterior to the scleral spur

13.  Schwalbes line
• It is fine rigid just in front of trabecular meshwork
• It is formed by prominent Descemet membrane of cornea

15. o Aqueous out-flow system
Aqueous humour is formed by ciliary processes of ciliary
body in the posterior chamber
It flows between suspecially ligament of zonules and
then through pupil into the anterior chamber

16. It includes the
 Trabecular meshwork
 Schlemm canal
 Collector channel
 Episcleral veins

17.  Trabecular meshwork
• It is sieve like structure through which aqueous humour leves the
eye.
• It bridge the scleral sulcus and converted it into a tube ,
accommodates schlemms canal.
• It consist of three parts
Uveal meshwork
Corneoscleral meshwork
Juxtacanalicular meshwork (endothelial)

18. Uveal meshwork
• it is innermost
part of trabecular
meshwork extends
form iris root and
ciliary body
through the
schwalbes line .
• The trabecular of
uveal meshwork
are cord like and
2-3 layer thick .
Corneoscleral
meshwork
• it forms the larger
middle portion of
the trabecular
meshwork and
extends from the
scleral spur lateral
wall of scleral
sulcus
• It consist of flat
sheet of
trabeculae
Juxtacanalicular
meshwork
• It forms the
outermost portion
of the trabecular
meshwork and
offers the normal
resistance of the
aqueous outflow
• It maintains the
outflow of
aqueous
• It consist a layer of
connective tissue
• Inner endothelium

19.  Schlemms Canal
• It is endothelial lined oval channel present in scleral
sulcus
• Endothelial of inner wall are irregular and contain giant
vacuoles
• The outer wall of schlemms canal contains numerous
opeings of collector channel

20.  Collector channel
• Their about 25-35 in number they leave the schlemms
canal oblique angle to terminate into episcleral vein

21.  Episcleral vein
• Most of the aqueous vescle drain into episcleral veins
• Episcleral veins ultimately drain into cavernous sinus via
the anterior ciliary and superior ophthalmic veins

22. o Functions of Aqueous humour
Aqueous humour is a clear , colourless , watery solution
, continuously circulate from the posterior camber of the
eye throughout the anterior chamber

23. 1. Maintainance of interocular pressure :- It is the primary
function of the aqueous .
By virture of this , the aqueous humour helps in
maintaining the
shape and internal structural arrangement of the eye .

24. 2 . Metabolic role :- In addition to its role in maintaining a
proper intraocular pressure
• Cornea :- Takes glucose and oxygen from the aqueous .
• Lens :- uses oxygen , glucose , amino acid and
potassium from the aqueous .
• Vitrous and retinal metabolism :- Is also appears to be
associated with the aqueous humour in that substance
such as amino acid and glucose pass into the vetrious
from the aqueous .

25. 3 . Optical function :- Under normal condition aqueous is
optically clear.
the cornea – aqueous interface acts as a diverging lens
of low
power .
4 . Clearing function :- The aqueous humour serve as a
mechanism to
clear blood , macrophages , remnant of lens matter
and products
of inflammation from the anterior chamber of the eye .

26. o Physical Properties
1. Total volume of the aqueous is 0.31ml
* Anterior chamber 0.25ml
* Posterior chamber 0.06ml .
2 . Refractive index = 1.336 .
3 . Density = 1.040 .
4 . pH = aqueous is acidic with a pH in the anterior chamber of
7.2 .
5 . Rate of formation = Normal aqueous 2.3 µl/min .
6 . Osmotic pressure = Aqueous is slightly hyperosmotic to
plasma by
3 to 5 mosm/l .

27. o Nerve supply
Both parasymphathetic and adrendrgic autonomic fibres
and sensory fibres innervate the aquous outflow system .

28. o Aqueous humour outflow
Aqueous humour flows from posterior chamber into
anterior chamber through pupil
From anterior chamber aqueous is drained out by two
flows
 Trabecular outflow
 Uveoscleral outflow

29.  Trabecular Outflow :- Trabecular outflow is the main
outlet for aqueous from the anterior chamber
• 75 to 90 % of the total aqueous is drained via this route
• Free flow of aqueous occurs from the trabecular
meshwork in the angle of anterior chamber up to
juxtacanalicular tissue , which along with the inner wall
of schlemms canal to provide some resistance to the
outflow .

30.  Uveoscleral outflow :- It is responsible for some 10 – 25
% of the total aqueous outflow .
• Aqueous passes across the ciliary body into the
suprachorodial space and is drained by the venous
circulation in the ciliary body , choroid , sclera and into
the orbital tissue