What is the first structure that light encounters when it enters the eye?

When light enters the eye, it first encounters the cornea. The cornea is the transparent, dome-shaped surface that covers the front of the eye and plays a crucial role in the eye's ability to focus light. It provides most of the eye's optical power, as it refracts (bends) the incoming light rays.

After passing through the cornea, light then moves through the pupil, which is the opening that controls the amount of light entering the eye. The lens follows, further refining the focus of the light onto the retina, where the image is processed.

Understanding the order of these structures is essential in grasping how visual information is captured and processed in the eye.