Which term describes the eye's outer protective layer, commonly referred to as the white of the eye?

Which term describes the eye's outer protective layer, commonly referred to as the white of the eye?

• A. Sclera
• B. Retina
• C. Choroid
• D. Cornea

Answer: (A)

Sclera. The sclera is the outer protective coat that forms the white, opaque part of the eye. It provides the tough, fibrous layer that protects internal structures and helps maintain the eye’s shape, while also serving as the attachment point for the extraocular muscles. It’s white and opaque because of dense collagen fibers and relatively few blood vessels. At the front it meets the transparent cornea, but unlike the cornea, the sclera does not bend light. The retina lies at the back as the light-detecting layer, and the choroid is the vascular layer between sclera and retina. So the term for the eye’s outer protective layer commonly referred to as the white of the eye is sclera.

Sclera. The sclera is the outer protective coat that forms the white, opaque part of the eye. It provides the tough, fibrous layer that protects internal structures and helps maintain the eye’s shape, while also serving as the attachment point for the extraocular muscles. It’s white and opaque because of dense collagen fibers and relatively few blood vessels. At the front it meets the transparent cornea, but unlike the cornea, the sclera does not bend light. The retina lies at the back as the light-detecting layer, and the choroid is the vascular layer between sclera and retina. So the term for the eye’s outer protective layer commonly referred to as the white of the eye is sclera.