<Tr> <Th> FMA </Th> <Td> 58301 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td_colspan="2"> Anatomical terminology (edit on Wikidata) </Td> </Tr> <P> The retina is the third and inner coat of the eye which is a light - sensitive layer of tissue . The optics of the eye create an image of the visual world on the retina (through the cornea and lens), which serves much the same function as the film in a camera . Light striking the retina initiates a cascade of chemical and electrical events that ultimately trigger nerve impulses . These are sent to various visual centres of the brain through the fibres of the optic nerve . Neural retina typically refers to three layers of neural cells (photo receptor cells, bipolar cells, and ganglion cells) within the retina, while the entire retina refers to these three layers plus a layer of pigmented epithelial cells . </P> <P> In vertebrate embryonic development, the retina and the optic nerve originate as outgrowths of the developing brain, specifically the embryonic diencephalon; thus, the retina is considered part of the central nervous system (CNS) and is actually brain tissue . It is the only part of the CNS that can be visualized non-invasively . </P>

Two structures of the eye which help to focus light on the retina