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Glite Dictionary
ciliary body

ciliary body

9.1
Part of the eye behind the iris that changes the lens shape and makes the clear fluid inside the eye
  • noun
  • /ˈsɪl.i.ɛr.i ˈbɑ.di/
  • Specialized
translation icon : cuerpo ciliar
  • The muscles in the ciliary body help maintain the eye's shape and ensure proper vision.

So if you try to use one of these muscles like the ciliary body to focus, your other muscles work alongside it.

Examples

  • CYP1B1 is widely expressed in the eyes, including the retina, iris, ciliary body, and TM (193).

    Academic text (2018)

  • Stone et al. (64) suggested that there is a possible association of the muscle-associated ciliary body with increased IOP.

    Academic text (2018)

  • So if you try to use one of these muscles like the ciliary body to focus, your other muscles work alongside it.

    Doctor Eye Health

  • Therefore, MYOC expression may account for a genetic susceptibility to POAG in specific tissues, including the ciliary body and TM.

    Academic text (2018)

  • The ciliary body is crucial for changing the shape of the lens to focus on nearby objects.

  • Located between the choroid and the iris, the ciliary body plays a key role in producing aqueous humor.

Surface Forms

ciliary body singular
ciliary bodies plural

Morphology

ciliary + body

The compound is compositionally formed from an adjective meaning ‘related to cilia/ciliary muscles’ and the noun ‘body’ (an anatomical part), so learners can infer it denotes an anatomical structure related to cilia. However, the specific functions (controlling lens shape and producing aqueous humor) are technical details not predictable from the constituents alone (and the provided definition of 'ciliary' is circular), so full understanding requires domain knowledge.

Etymology

The term ciliary body comes from a Latin word meaning 'eyelash' because the ciliary part refers to tiny, lash-like muscles and the body is the ring of tissue around the lens. These muscles change the lens shape to help the eye focus and make the eye's fluid, so the name helps you remember its role in focusing and eye health.