What is the transparent, non-vascular tissue located at the front of the eye?

The cornea is the transparent, non-vascular tissue that covers the front part of the eye. This structure plays a crucial role in vision as it helps to focus light onto the retina, allowing for clear sight. The cornea is highly sensitive and contains no blood vessels; instead, it receives nutrients through the tear fluid and the aqueous humor, which is the clear fluid in the front chamber of the eye. Its transparency is essential for allowing light to pass through, while its curvature helps to refract the incoming light beams, contributing to the eye's overall focusing power.

In contrast, the sclera, often referred to as the white part of the eye, is opaque and provides structural support. The retina is the light-sensitive layer at the back of the eye responsible for converting light into neural signals, and the lens, located behind the cornea, adjusts its shape to fine-tune focus for near or distant vision. Each of these structures has distinct functions that are vital to vision, but it is the cornea that is specifically characterized by its transparency and lack of blood vessels at the front of the eye.