Definition of Uvea

Eye Diseases and Conditions Slideshow

Uvea: Part of the eye, consisting collectively of the iris, the choroid of the eye, and the ciliary body

• The iris: The circular, colored curtain of the eye that surrounds the pupil.
• The choroid of the eye: The thin vascular middle layer of the eye that is situated between the sclera (the white of the eye) and the retina (the nerve layer that lines the back of the eye, senses light, and creates impulses that travel through the optic nerve to the brain).
• The ciliary body: A body of tissue that connects the iris with the choroid and includes a group of muscles which act on the lens of the eye to change its shape.

The word "uvea" comes from the Latin word "uva" for grape. Why a grape? Well, the idea was that, if the stem is removed from a grape, the hole looks like the pupil and the grape the eyeball.