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Anatomy

The Macula

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Healthy MaculaThis is a color photograph of the healthy macula; only a very small portion of the peripheral retina is shown.

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Macula Text ExampleIf you look at below, where the word “macula” is seen in bold red letters, and you look directly at that word, you are looking at it with your macula. If you keep you eye fixed on the word “macula,” you are aware of the other words on the page because of your peripheral vision, but you won’t be able to read any of the other words well. If you can read them clearly, it is because you moved your eye and are looking at those words instead of at the word “macula.” 

The retina has two parts: the peripheral retina and the macula. If you imagine the retina as a circle with a bull’s-eye at the center, the macula is like the bull’s-eye. It is very small.

In order to see fine detail, you must look straight ahead, using the macula, the “bull’s-eye” center of the retina. Even though the macula makes up only a small part of the retina, it is one hundred times more sensitive to detail than the peripheral retina. The macula allows you to see tiny detail, read fine print, recognize faces, thread a needle, read the time, see street signs, and drive a car.

The only way to see detail is by using your macula and it must be healthy to work properly.