Question

Refraction of light in the eye occur at:
(A) The pupil only
(B) The cornea only
(C) The lens only
(D) Both the cornea and the lens

Answer 1

Hint Cornea present in the front of the eye acts as a single converging lens. And eye lenses act as double converging lenses. Since both have converging properties they both refract the light .

Complete Step-by-step Solution Cornea : It is a transparent membrane like structure on the front portion of the eye. The light in the eyes enters through the cornea .
Lens : It acts as a double convex lens situated behind the iris . It is made up of fibrous , jelly like structure . These lenses stay in their position with the help of the ciliary muscles . This lens has the ability to adjust its focus automatically .
Pupil : It is a small hole through which the iris is in place.
Now, we have seen what cornea, pupil and lens are . Let us see where the refraction takes place-
The presence of transparent structures like cornea acts as a single converging lens . So most of the refraction takes place in the cornea itself . These refracted light gets further refracted through the double convex ( converging) lens . So we can say both the cornea and lens combined make the refraction possible .

Hence, the correct option is D.

Note Human eye has a self adjusting focus. Most of the refraction takes place in the cornea. Cornea also protects the eyes from various external factors like dust and germs.