Corona ciliaris
Corona ciliaris
- Latin synonym: Pars plicata corporis ciliaris
- Synonym: Ciliary crown
Definition
The corona ciliaris (a.k.a. the pars plicata), is the anterior, folded part of the ciliary body located just posterior to the root of the iris. It forms a circular, crownlike ring around the lens, which gives rise to its name (corona meaning crown). This region is characterised by numerous ciliary processes.
Aqueous humour production
Structurally, the ciliary processes greatly increase the surface area of this region, making it the principal site for aqueous humour production. Each process contains a vascular core with fenestrated capillaries and is covered by a double layer of epitheliuman outer pigmented layer and an inner nonpigmented layer. The nonpigmented epithelium is particularly specialised for active fluid secretion, contributing to the formation of aqueous humour.
Accommodation for near vision
In addition to fluid production, the corona ciliaris provides attachment for the zonular fibres (suspensory ligaments of the lens), thereby playing an essential role in lens support and accommodation. Posteriorly, it is continuous with the pars plana, which is smooth and lacks ciliary processes.
References
Standring, S. (Ed.). (2015). Eye (Chapter 42). In Gray's anatomy: The anatomical basis of clinical practice (41st ed., pp. 686-706). Churchill Livingstone.
