Model of human eye
- maker:
- Louis Thomas Jerome Auzoux
Model of human eye, 1870, by Dr. Auzoux, French
Within this plaster model, each layer of the human eye can be revealed. The top plaster layer represents the sclera; at the front of the eye this becomes the cornea. The second layer, made from glass, shows the iris, pupil and surrounding area. The glass bulb represents the lens. The vitreous humour is behind the lens. The optic nerve is shown at the back of the model.
It was made by the factory of French physician Louis Thomas Jérôme Auzoux (1797-1880), and was probably used to demonstrate the anatomy of the eye to medical students. Seeing body parts on a larger scale, rather than life size, makes the structure easier to understand. There are small numbers placed on different parts of the eye, suggesting that there was once a key to help in learning the names and shapes of the various parts.
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Model of human eyeDetails
- Category:
- Anatomy & Pathology
- Collection:
- Sir Henry Wellcome's Museum Collection
- Object Number:
- A600027
- Materials:
- plaster, glass, paper (fibre product), paint, metal (unknown) and complete
- Measurements:
-
overall: 230 mm x 170 mm x 280 mm, 1.37kg
- type:
- eye
- credit:
- Loan, Wellcome Trust