Definition of Ciliary body
Ciliary body: Part of the eye, the ciliary body is a circular structure just behind the iris composed of the ciliary muscle and ciliary processes which attach to the lens. The ciliary processes secrete the aqueous fluid, and the ciliary muscle modifies focus by changing the shape of the lens
The ciliary body is part of the uvea, which also includes the iris (the circular, colored curtain of the eye that surrounds the pupil) and the choroid of the eye which is the thin vascular middle layer of the eye situated between the sclera (the white of the eye) and the retina (the nerve layer that lines the back of the eye, senses light, and creates impulses that travel through the optic nerve to the brain).
Last Editorial Review: 5/13/2016
Back to MedTerms online medical dictionary A-Z List
Need help identifying pills and medications?