<P> The retina is the third and inner coat of the eye which is a light - sensitive layer of tissue . The optics of the eye create an image of the visual world on the retina ( through the cornea and lens ) , which serves much the same function as the film in a camera . Light striking the retina initiates a cascade of chemical and electrical events that ultimately trigger nerve impulses . These are sent to various visual centres of the brain through the fibres of the optic nerve . Neural retina typically refers to three layers of neural cells ( photo receptor cells , bipolar cells , and ganglion cells ) within the retina , while the entire retina refers to these three layers plus a layer of pigmented epithelial cells . </P>
two structures of the eye which help to focus light on the retina
the cornea and lens