The Three O's of Eyes. How Ophthalmologists, Optometrists and Opticians work together to make sure you get the best possible eye care. Click to watch the whiteboard animation.

The eye is made up of several different parts. Starting at the front of the eye, light moves through the cornea (the clear dome at the front of the eye) and enters the pupil, the opening of the iris (the colored part of the eye). Light rays that travel through the iris are focused on by the eye's lens onto the retina - the eye's thin film that is located in the back of the eye. Light rays have to travel through the clear jelly in the eye—called the vitreous—to reach the retina.

The retina is brain tissue that is responsible for converting light energy into electrical signals. Similar to a fibre optic cable, these signals make their way to the brain through over 1 million small nerve cells that are bundled together in the optic nerve.

The macula is the part of the retina responsible for central or very fine vision. While the entire retina sees light, the macula contains the highest density of the light-sensitive cells, which allows for high resolution sight. This is the part of the eye that you use to see detail, and for reading. There are many diseases that can affect the macular but the most common three are: age-related macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy, and retinal vein occlusion.

Age-related Macular Degeneration (or AMD) is a leading cause of blindness in people over 60. It results from a breakdown of the macula, the primary part of the retina, responsible for seeing details. Once this happens, central vision can be severely impacted – your vision can become blurry, distorted, or you may even experience loss of vision and blindness.