In what order must light rays pass through the eye before focusing on the retina?

The correct order in which light rays pass through the eye before focusing on the retina starts with the cornea. Light first enters the eye through the cornea, which provides most of the eye's optical power due to its curvature. After passing through the cornea, the light rays move through the pupil. The pupil is the opening that regulates the amount of light entering the eye and is surrounded by the iris.

Next, the light rays are focused by the lens, which fine-tunes the focus to ensure that images are sharp. Finally, after passing through the lens, the rays travel through the vitreous humor, which is the gel-like substance filling the eye, before reaching the retina. The retina then converts the light into neural signals, which are sent to the brain for processing.

This sequence is crucial for proper vision, as each component plays a specific role in refracting and directing light accurately to the retinal surface. Understanding this pathway helps to appreciate how visual acuity and clarity are achieved.