retina

American  

[ret-n-uh, ret-nuh] / ˈrɛt n ə, ˈrɛt nə /

noun

Anatomy.

retinas, plural retinae plural

1. the innermost coat of the posterior part of the eyeball that receives the image produced by the lens, is continuous with the optic nerve, and consists of several layers, one of which contains the rods and cones that are sensitive to light.

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Trademark, Computers.

1. Retina, a brand name used by Apple, Inc., to describe display screens having a resolution so high that it is difficult to see individual pixels with the human eye.

   a Retina display; Retina technology; Retina quality.

retina British  

/ ˈrɛtɪnə /

noun

1. the light-sensitive membrane forming the inner lining of the posterior wall of the eyeball, composed largely of a specialized terminal expansion of the optic nerve. Images focused here by the lens of the eye are transmitted to the brain as nerve impulses

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retina Scientific  

/ rĕt′n-ə /

retinas plural

1. The light-sensitive membrane that lines the inside of the back of the eyeball and connects to the brain by the optic nerve. The retina of vertebrate animals contains rods and cones, specialized cells that absorb light.

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retina Cultural  

1. The inner layer of the eye, sensitive to light, that is connected to the brain by the optic nerve. The retina lines the rear of the eye-ball. The lens of the eye focuses waves of light on the retina.

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• retinal
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• retinae
  plural
• retinas
  plural

Etymology

Origin of retina

1350–1400; Middle English ret ( h ) ina < Medieval Latin rētina, perhaps equivalent to Latin rēt- (stem of rēte ) net + -ina -ine ¹

Explanation

A retina is a light-sensitive part of an eyeball that sends nerve impulses to the brain so a picture of what the eye is seeing can be formed. Your retina lines the inside of your eye — it's a thin membrane filled with cells that are extremely sensitive to light. It's your retina that allows your brain to actually see what you're looking at, by sending messages through your optic nerve. In Latin, retina means "net-like layer," from the root word rete, or "net."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

retina retinae retinas

The work could also improve scientists' understanding of diseases that damage the retina, including macular degeneration, glaucoma, and congenital night blindness.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 14, 2026

Vision begins when rods and cones in the retina detect light.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 14, 2026

The optic nerve then exits through the back of the retina, creating a blind spot just below the horizontal level of the eye where no vision is possible.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 11, 2026

Scientists at Johns Hopkins University have uncovered how humans develop sharp central vision before birth, identifying a carefully timed interaction between a vitamin A derived molecule and thyroid hormones in the retina.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 9, 2026

The most sensitive part of the retina is not at the center of the field of view.

From "Cosmos" by Carl Sagan

The researchers demonstrated axon regeneration in animal models and human cells taken from retinae donated by patients.

From Science Daily ● Apr. 19, 2024

Because of this offset, visual stimuli do not fall on exactly the same spot on both retinae unless we are fixated directly on them and they fall on the fovea of each retina.

From Textbooks ● Jun. 19, 2013

The axons that decussate in the chiasm are from the medial retinae of either eye, and therefore carry information from the peripheral visual field.

From Textbooks ● Jun. 19, 2013

The visual field is projected onto the two retinae, as described above, with sorting at the optic chiasm.

From Textbooks ● Jun. 19, 2013

Only certain parts of the two retinae work harmoniously together, and you have disturbed their natural relations.

From The Atlantic Monthly, Volume 03, No. 20, June, 1859 by Various

People diagnosed with Alzheimer's had much higher levels of Chlamydia pneumoniae in both their retinas and brains compared to those with normal cognition.

From Science Daily ● Feb. 21, 2026

Doctors told him he had diabetic retinopathy: diabetes-related damage to blood vessels in the retinas.

From BBC ● Dec. 16, 2024

During the study, a cohort of Parkinson's patients had the thickness of the innermost layer of their retinas measured using optical coherence tomography.

From Science Daily ● Apr. 19, 2024

“You’re tempted to do it, but it will burn the retinas permanently and cause permanent blindness.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 1, 2024

I saw a brief flash of red as the visor scanned my retinas.

From "Ready Player One: A Novel" by Ernest Cline