Macula; Fovea; Yellow spot
When an eye is looking directly at an object, light rays from that object are focused on the macula lutea. This is a yellow oval spot ("lutea" is Latin for "yellow") at the center of the retina (back of the eye). The yellow color comes from the high concentration of lutein. It is the part of the retina that is responsible for sharp, detailed central vision (also called visual acuity). The macula lutea, also called fovea, contains a very high concentration of cones. These are the light-sensitive cells in the retina that give detailed central vision.
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Taber's Cyclopedic Medical Dictionary. 24th ed. Philadelphia, PA: F.A. Davis Company; 2021. www.tabers.com/tabersonline. Accessed November 29, 2023.
BACK TO TOPReview Date: 11/8/2023
Reviewed By: Franklin W. Lusby, MD, Ophthalmologist, Lusby Vision Institute, La Jolla, CA. Also reviewed by David C. Dugdale, MD, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team.
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