Skip to main content
An official website of the United States government
Español
Government Funding Lapse
Because of a lapse in government funding, the information on this website may not be up to date, transactions submitted via the website may not be processed, and the agency may not be able to respond to inquiries until appropriations are enacted.

The NIH Clinical Center (the research hospital of NIH) is open. For more details about its operating status, please visit cc.nih.gov.

Updates regarding government operating status and resumption of normal operations can be found at opm.gov.

lens

(lenz)
A clear disk that focuses light, as in a camera or microscope. In the eye, the lens is a clear, curved structure at the front of the eye behind the pupil. It focuses light rays that enter the eye through the pupil, making an image on the retina (light-sensitive layers of nerve tissue at the back of the eye).
Eye anatomy; two-panel drawing showing the outside and inside of the eye. The top panel shows the outside of the eye, including the eyelid, pupil, sclera, and iris. The bottom panel shows the inside of the eye, including the cornea, lens, ciliary body, retina, choroid, optic nerve, and vitreous humor.Enlarge this image in new window
Anatomy of the eye showing the outside and inside of the eye, including the eyelid, pupil, sclera, iris, cornea, lens, ciliary body, retina, choroid, optic nerve, and vitreous humor.
Search NCI's Dictionary of Cancer Terms