Eye glossary

Macula

Also known as: yellow spot

The macula is a small area at the centre of the retina responsible for the sharpest vision. You use it whenever you look directly at something, read, or recognise a face.

The rest of the retina handles peripheral vision, which is less sharp. So when the macula is damaged, a person does not lose the visual field as a whole, but stops seeing whatever they are looking at.

← Back to the glossary