What is the retina?
The retina has two parts: the peripheral retina and macula. If you imagine the retina as a circle with a bulls-eye at the centre, the macula is like the bulls-eye: it is very small. The large area of the retina that surrounds the macula and makes up 95% of the retina is called the peripheral retina. The peripheral retina gives us vision to the side (peripheral vision). It is this part of the retina that is at work when we see something out of the corner of our eye. Because the peripheral retina is not able to see detail clearly, we cannot use the peripheral vision to read, thread a needle, drive, or even recognize a face. If you see someone off to your side (‘out of the corner of your eye’), you might be able to tell who it is because you recognize the person’s general shape, but you won’t be able to see the expression on the person’s face. What is the vitreous? The vitreous is much like the clear ‘white’ of an egg and it fills the central cavity of the eye. The vitreous is attached to
