Aqueous Humor

The aqueous humor is a thick watery substance that is found in the anterior chamber, between the lens and the cornea. Aqueous humor is secreted into the posterior chamber by the ciliary body. Then it runs through the narrow cleft between the front of the lens and the back of the iris, to escape through the pupil into the anterior chamber, and then to drain out of the eye via the trabecular meshwork. From there, it drains into Schlemm's canal; directly, via aqueous vein to the episcleral vein, or indirectly, via collector channels to the episcleral vein by intrascleral plexus and eventually into the veins of the orbit.

The aqueous humor is made up of 99 % water and 1 % proteins, glucose, and amino acids. Its functions is to maintain the intraocular pressure, inflating the globe of the eye, provides nutrition for the posterior cornea, trabecular meshwork, lens, and anterior vitreous, and carry away waste products from metabolism of the above avascular ocular tissues.