retina

/ˈrɛtənə/

/ˈrɛtɪnə/

Other forms: retinas; retinae

A retina is a light-sensitive part of an eyeball that sends nerve impulses to the brain so a picture of what the eye is seeing can be formed.

Your retina lines the inside of your eye — it's a thin membrane filled with cells that are extremely sensitive to light. It's your retina that allows your brain to actually see what you're looking at, by sending messages through your optic nerve. In Latin, retina means "net-like layer," from the root word rete, or "net."

Definitions of retina

1. noun

   the innermost light-sensitive membrane covering the back wall of the eyeball; it is continuous with the optic nerve
   type of:

   membrane, tissue layer

   a pliable sheet of tissue that covers or lines or connects the organs or cells of animals or plants