What is the transparent layer that forms the front of the eye called?

The transparent layer that forms the front of the eye is known as the cornea. It serves several important functions, including protecting the eye and helping to focus light as it enters. The cornea is crucial for vision because it bends or refracts light, which is essential for forming clear images on the retina at the back of the eye.

The lens, while also important for focusing light, is situated behind the cornea and fine-tunes the focus of light onto the retina. The retina is the layer at the back of the eye that contains photoreceptors, which convert light into neural signals. The iris, on the other hand, is the colored part of the eye that regulates the amount of light that enters through the pupil. Each of these structures plays a vital role in vision, but the specific function of forming the front of the eye is uniquely attributed to the cornea.