macula lutea

macula

An oval area in the retina, usually located temporal to the posterior pole of the eye and slightly below the level of the optic disk. It is characterized by the presence of a yellow pigment diffusely permeating the inner layers, contains the fovea centralis in its center, and provides the best phototopic visual acuity. It is devoid of retinal blood vessels, except in its periphery, and receives nourishment from the choriocapillaris of the choroid. (From Cline et al., Dictionary of Visual Science, 4th ed).

Typ Vessel
Übergeordnete Struktur organ part
Lateinischer Name macula
FMA ID 58637

Häufig gestellte Fragen

What makes the macula lutea appear yellow?
The macula lutea gets its name from its yellow color (Latin: 'yellow spot'), which is caused by the accumulation of xanthophyll carotenoid pigments — primarily lutein and zeaxanthin — in the inner retinal layers. These pigments act as short-wavelength light filters, reducing chromatic aberration and protecting photoreceptors from blue light and phototoxic damage.
What is the central structure within the macula lutea?
At the center of the macula lutea lies the fovea centralis — a small pit where the retina thins out and inner layers are displaced peripherally, allowing maximum photoreceptor density. The fovea contains almost exclusively cone photoreceptors (approximately 150,000 per mm²) and no rods, making it the site of highest visual acuity and color discrimination. The very center of the fovea is the foveola.
What conditions affect the macula lutea?
Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the leading cause of vision loss in older adults, involving progressive damage to the macula. AMD has two forms: dry (atrophic, with drusen deposits and geographic atrophy) and wet (neovascular, with choroidal neovascularization causing rapid central vision loss). Other macular conditions include macular hole, diabetic macular edema, and epiretinal membrane — all impairing central vision while typically sparing peripheral vision.

Verwandte Strukturen

mucus body coating mucous body coating mucus cocoon mucous cocoon Mullerian duct ductus paramesonephricus multi cell part structure cell part cluster multicellular anatomical structure multicellular structure multilaminar epithelium laminated epithelium multi-tissue structure multi-tissue structures multi-unit eye

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Data sources: Terminologia Anatomica, Foundational Model of Anatomy, Wikidata.