Macular
Pertaining to the macula.
A macula is a small spot. A macula on the skin is a small flat spot while the macula in the eye is a small spot where vision is keenest in the retina.
The macula of the retina, the light-sensitive layer of tissue lining the interior of he back of the eye, is also known as the macula. It is in the center of the retina. As we read, light is focused onto our macula where millions of cells change the light into nerve signals that tell the brain what we are seeing.
This is called central vision thanks to which we are able to read, drive, and perform other activities that require fine, sharp, straight-ahead vision. If the macula begins to degenerate, central visions begins to go.
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- Macular (skin)
Adjective referring to macules which are circumscribed changes in the color of skin that are neither raised (elevated) nor depressed. Macules are never large. They are little spots or blemishes in the skin. They are entirely flat and can only be appreciated by visual inspection; they cannot be seen from the side. Dermatologists call small […]
- Macular cyst
A cyst caused by vitreous traction in the macula, the tiny oval area made up of millions of nerve cells located at the center of the retina responsible for sharp, central vision. The eye contains a jelly-like substance called the vitreous. Shrinking of the vitreous usually causes the cyst. As a person ages, the vitreous […]
- Macular degeneration
An eye disease that progressively destroys the macula, the central portion of the retina, impairing central vision. Macular degeneration rarely causes total blindness because only the center of vision is affected. However, injury to the macula in the center of the retina can impair the ability to see straight ahead clearly and sometimes make it […]
- Macular hole
A hole in the macula, the tiny oval area made up of millions of nerve cells located at the center of the retina responsible for sharp, central vision. The eye contains a jelly-like substance called the vitreous. Shrinking of the vitreous usually causes the hole. As a person ages, the vitreous becomes thicker and stringier […]
- Macular pucker
Scar tissue in the macula, the area of the retina responsible for sharp central vision. The scar can blur and distort vision and make straight lines appear wavy. Macular pucker is due most often to age-related shrinkage of the vitreous which pulls away from the retina, causing the retina to scar and wrinkle. Other causes […]