Educational Content: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Always consult a healthcare provider for diagnosis and treatment.
Definition of Body, ciliary
Medically reviewed by Dr. Otari Nergadze, Neurosurgeon | Updated: January 2026
Body, ciliary: Part of the eye, the ciliary body is a thin vascular (blood vessel-filled) middle layer of the eye that is situated between the sclera (the white of the eye) and the retina (the nerve layer that lines the back of the eye, senses light, and creates impulses that travel through the optic nerve to the brain).
The ciliary body is part of the uvea, which also includes the iris (the circular, colored curtain of the eye that surrounds the pupil) and the choroid of the eye, the thin vascular middle layer of the eye situated between the sclera (the white of the eye) and the retina (the nerve layer that lines the back of the eye, senses light, and creates impulses that travel through the optic nerve to the brain).