US Medical Term · anatomy
Cornea
Córnea
In 9 languages
| Language | Term |
|---|---|
| English | Cornea |
| Spanish (Español) | Córnea |
| Chinese (中文) | 角膜 |
| Korean (한국어) | 각막 |
| Vietnamese (Tiếng Việt) | Giác mạc |
| Filipino (Tagalog) | Kornea |
| Portuguese (Português) | Córnea |
| Thai (ภาษาไทย) | กระจกตา |
| Japanese (日本語) | 角膜 |
What it means
The cornea is the clear, dome-shaped surface that covers the front of your eye. It acts like a window, allowing light to enter the eye. The cornea also does about two-thirds of the eye's focusing work, bending light so it lands properly on the retina at the back of the eye. Unlike most tissues in the body, the cornea has no blood vessels — it gets nutrients from tears and the fluid inside the eye. This makes it transparent. Diseases or injuries that scratch or cloud the cornea can blur your vision. LASIK surgery reshapes the cornea to correct nearsightedness, farsightedness, and astigmatism. Corneal transplants replace a damaged cornea with a donor one.
How to say it
Sentences a patient might use with a doctor, nurse, pharmacist, or insurer:
My eye doctor said I scratched my cornea and need to use antibiotic drops.
Mi oftalmólogo dijo que me rasqué la córnea y necesito usar gotas antibióticas.
I was told I might need a corneal transplant because my cornea is scarred.
Me dijeron que podría necesitar un trasplante de córnea porque la mía está cicatrizada.
Could my blurry vision be caused by a problem with my cornea?
¿Podría mi visión borrosa ser causada por un problema en la córnea?
Where you'll see it
Related terms
Sources
Last reviewed: September 2026