Abstract

The human cornea fulfills a dual role, acting as both a protective cover to maintain ocular integrity and as the primary refractive element responsible for transmitting and focusing light onto the retina. As part of the eye’s outer tunic, it contains the outward force exerted by intraocular pressure (IOP) and shields the inner eye from mechanical, biological, and chemical insults. Due to its curvature and the difference in refractive indices between the surrounding air and itself, the cornea is also a powerful focusing lens, providing nearly twice the refractive power of the crystalline lens.