Fovea

The fovea is the center part of the macula. It is responsible for our central and sharpest sight. A healthy fovea is key for reading, driving, and other activities that require the ability to see detail. The fovea is surrounded by the parafovea belt, and the perifovea outer region.

The fovea allows for 100% acuity of vision. It receives oxygen from the blood vessels in the choroid. The fovea is made up of neuronal ganglion cells and specialized nerve cells called photoreceptors. Although it comprises less than 1% of retinal size, the fovea takes up over 50% of the visual cortex in the brain. The foveal pit is not located exactly on the optical axis, but is displaced about 4 to 8 degrees temporal to it.