Vitreous Humour
The vitreous humour (which is also known as the vitreous body) is located in the the large area that occupies approx. 80% of each eye in the human body.
Note that this is spelt "vitreous humor" in textbooks that use American spellings - the meaning is the same.
The vitreous humour is a transparent thin-jelly-like substance that fills the chamber behind ('posterior to') the lens of the eye. It is an albuminous fluid enclosed in a delicate transparent membrane called the hyaloid membrane.
There is a channel called the canal of Stilling running through the centre of the vitreous humour from the entrance of the optic nerve to the posterior surface of the lens. This is filled with fluid and lined by a prolongation of the hyaloid membrane.
More about Ophthalmology:
This section includes short definitions and descriptions of the parts of the eye.
For other descriptions in this category, choose from the list
to the left (but note that this is not a complete / exhaustive list).
Other related sections include:
- A labelled diagram of the eye
- A concise description of the human retina with brief descriptions of the parts of the retina
- Diseases and disorders of the human eye and the human visual system
- Clinical and surgical procedures re. eyes and human visual system
For further information see also our pages of books about ophthalmology.
