Uvea

The uvea (Lat. uva, grape '), also mean the eyeball ( ocular tunica media ) called, is in the eye a pigment- bearing layer below the strongly scattering ( opaque ) sclera ( sclera ). The main tasks of this layer are the accommodation, adaptation, and the diet of the more inner retina.

The uvea consists of

• Iris ( iris, Task: Adaptation)
• Ciliary body ( ciliary body, task: accommodation, aqueous humor production )
• Choroid ( choroidal task: Nutrition of the retina, removal of accumulated heat, mechanical pads ).

The uvea is individually similar genetic pigmentation of the outer skin greatly. This causes, for example, the different eye colors. Together with the highly pigmented in almost all human outer layer of the inner eye skin makes the pigmentation of the uveal for the darkening of the eye against scattered radiation from the outside and inside.

The tissues of the uveal corresponds phylogenetically the pia mater ( pia mater and arachnoid ) and provides the inner layer of nerve cells, the retina, which is a part of the central nervous system.

An inflammation of the uvea is called uveitis.