what does the cornea do

The cornea is the clear “front window” of your eye that both protects it and helps you see by focusing incoming light.

Quick Scoop

• The cornea is a transparent, dome-shaped layer covering the iris, pupil, and front chamber of the eye.

• It acts as a physical barrier, blocking dust, germs, and other harmful particles from getting deeper into the eye.

• It also filters some ultraviolet (UV) light from the sun, adding extra protection to internal eye structures.

• Optically, the cornea bends (refracts) light as it enters the eye and provides most of the eye’s focusing power, so images can be formed sharply on the retina.

• It works together with the lens inside the eye: the cornea gives the main focus, and the lens fine-tunes it for clear vision.

In one line

The cornea protects the front of your eye like a clear shield and acts as a powerful focusing lens so you can see clearly.