ciliary muscles – muscles in the eye that change the shape of the lens

(Pronounced sih-lee-eh-ree)

To remember the meaning of ciliary muscles, use the following mnemonic:

The silly hairy muscle (ciliary muscle) man changes his odd-shaped lenses.

The ciliary muscles are ring-shaped smooth muscles located in the eye that play an important role in vision when focusing on objects at different distances. 

These muscles are attached to the lens by suspensory ligaments that hold the lens in position. When looking at distance objects, the ciliary muscles relax, which causes the suspensory ligaments to pull tight and flatten the lens, reducing its refractive power for distant vision.

Conversely, when focusing on nearby objects, the ciliary muscles contract, which reduces tension on the suspensory ligaments and allow the lens to become more rounded and curved, increasing its refractive power for close vision. 

The ciliary muscles are controlled by the nervous system automatically and work continuously throughout the day as we shift gaze between objects at various distances.