What is the macula?

The macula is part of the retina at the back of the eye. It is only about 5mm across, but is responsible for our central vision, most of our colour vision and the fine detail of what we see. A healthy macula is about 250 microns (one quarter of a millimetre) thick.

The macula has a very high concentration of photoreceptor cells – the cells that detect light. They send signals to the brain, which interprets them as images. The rest of the retina processes our peripheral, or side vision.

Cross-section of the eye

Last review date: 03 2022
Next review date: 12 2023