The macula is an oval, yellowish area about 5 mm across at the centre of the retina, lying temporal to the optic disc. It is packed with cones and contains the fovea at its centre. Its yellow colour comes from the pigments lutein and zeaxanthin, which filter blue light.
| Location | Centre of the posterior retina, about 3-4 mm temporal to the optic disc |
|---|---|
| Parts |
|
| Nerve Supply | Ganglion cell axons forming the papillomacular bundle of the optic nerve |
| Blood Supply | Branches of the central retinal artery; Choriocapillaris; Cilioretinal artery (when present) |
Provides high-resolution central vision and colour vision for tasks such as reading and recognising faces.
The macula gives sharp central and colour vision, so disease here affects reading and face recognition while side vision is kept. Age-related macular degeneration is the most common cause of severe vision loss in older people in high-income countries. An Amsler grid can reveal distortion from macular disease, and optical coherence tomography shows its layers in detail.
Degeneration of the macula with drusen and pigment changes (dry form) or leaking new vessels (wet form), causing central blur and distortion.
Fluid build-up within the macula, commonly from diabetes or retinal vein occlusion, causing blurred central vision.
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