Cow's Eye Dissection

How does your eye work? You see the world because light gets into your eyes. Your eye uses that light to make an image of the world inside your eye—just as a camera uses light to make a photograph. At the Exploratorium, we dissect cow eyes to show people how an eye functions, and look at the parts that make up an eye. This video shows and explains a dissection with one of our staff Explainers.

Download step-by-step instructions (PDF) for doing your own cow’s eye dissection. Instructions include an eye diagram, a glossary, and color photos for each step.