{"id":1836,"date":"2026-10-20T08:52:49","date_gmt":"2026-10-20T08:52:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/laseristanbulclinic.com\/eye-glossary\/macula-and-fovea\/"},"modified":"2026-10-20T12:56:59","modified_gmt":"2026-10-20T12:56:59","slug":"macula-and-fovea","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/laseristanbulclinic.com\/en\/eye-glossary\/macula-and-fovea\/","title":{"rendered":"Fovea Centralis and Macula: Location, Function and Diseases"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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  1. Home<\/a><\/li>
  2. Knowledge centre<\/a><\/li>
  3. Eye glossary A\u2013Z<\/a><\/li>
  4. Fovea Centralis and Macula: Location, Function and Diseases<\/span><\/li><\/ol><\/div>\t\t\t

    Fovea Centralis and Macula: Location, Function and Diseases<\/h1>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

    Medically reviewed by {{surgeon}}<\/span><\/strong>, {{surgeon’s title and specialty}}<\/span>, on {{review date}}<\/span>. Last updated {{date}}<\/span>.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

    \"Retina<\/figure><\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div><\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n\n\n\n
    \n\t\t<\/svg>Definition<\/span>\n\t\t\t

    Fovea centralis<\/strong> (noun, plural foveae; also “fovea of the eye”)<\/em>: the fovea centralis is a tiny pit in the centre of the macula, the central part of the retina, where the eye sees in the sharpest detail. The macula<\/strong> (Latin macula lutea, “yellow spot”)<\/em> is the retinal area around it that controls sharp, straight-ahead vision, the vision you use to read, recognise faces and drive. Together they are the reason you can see fine print and colour wherever you point your eyes.<\/p>\n\t\t\t

    In short:<\/strong> the macula is about 5\u20136 mm across; the fovea centralis, about 1.5 mm wide at its centre, is its sharpest point. Damage to either blurs or distorts central vision while side vision stays. Common causes are age-related macular degeneration, macular hole, macular pucker, diabetic macular oedema and central serous retinopathy. Retina conditions are assessed in Istanbul by Do\u00e7. Dr. Muhammet Derda \u00d6zer (Do\u00e7. = Associate Professor) and Op. Dr. Aysan Bayram.<\/p><\/div>\n\t<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/section>\n\n\n\n\n

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    Macula and fovea: key facts<\/h2><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t
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    <\/svg>Where they are<\/span><\/dt>
    At the back of the eye, in the centre of the retina, on the temple side of the optic nerve head (the optic disc)<\/dd><\/dl><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
    <\/svg>Macula size<\/span><\/dt>
    About 5\u20136 mm in diameter<\/dd><\/dl><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
    <\/svg>Fovea size<\/span><\/dt>
    About 1.5 mm in diameter, in the middle of the macula<\/dd><\/dl><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
    <\/svg>Foveola<\/span><\/dt>
    The very centre of the fovea, about 350 \u00b5m (0.35 mm) across and 90\u2013130 \u00b5m thick<\/dd><\/dl><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
    <\/svg>Photoreceptors<\/span><\/dt>
    Cones only at the foveola; no rods, so no dim-light cells at the exact centre<\/dd><\/dl><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
    <\/svg>Blood vessels<\/span><\/dt>
    None at the centre: a foveal avascular zone of roughly 0.2\u20131 mm<\/dd><\/dl><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
    <\/svg>What they do<\/span><\/dt>
    Sharp central vision, fine detail and colour<\/dd><\/dl><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
    <\/svg>Typical symptoms of damage<\/span><\/dt>
    Blurred or distorted centre of vision, straight lines looking wavy, a grey or dark patch in the middle<\/dd><\/dl><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
    <\/svg>Specialists<\/span><\/dt>
    Retina specialist (ophthalmologist); at Laser Istanbul Clinic, Do\u00e7. Dr. Muhammet Derda \u00d6zer and Op. Dr. Aysan Bayram<\/dd><\/dl><\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/section>\n\n\n\n\n
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    What is the fovea centralis?<\/h2><\/div><\/div>

    The fovea centralis is the small depression at the very centre of the macula, and it gives the eye its sharpest vision.<\/strong> It is only about 1.5 mm across, yet it matters far more than its size suggests: in a 2025 review of macular anatomy, researchers noted that approximately 25% of all retinal ganglion cells, the nerve cells that carry the picture from the eye to the brain, are located in the fovea.<\/p>\n

    The fovea has several features that set it apart from the rest of the retina:<\/p>\n