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- Nearly perfectly spherical, with a
- diameter of around one inch, the adult
- human eye is surrounded by a layer of
- tough, elastic connective tissue called the
- sclera. The portion of the sclera over the
- front of the eye, called the cornea, is
- transparent and is the first light-focusing
- element of the eye. The next layer beneath
- the sclera is the choroid which serves
- several important functions. Containing
- many blood vessels, the choroid supplies
- blood to the rest of the eye. Darkly
- pigmented, the choroid absorbs
- internally reflected light and prevents it
- from entering the eye. At the junction
- between the cornea and the sclera, the
- choroid is thickened and embedded with
- smooth muscles. Called the ciliary body,
- this part of the choroid forms the
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