The macula is part of the retina. The retina is a layer of nerve cells that lines the inside of the eye and enables the eye to see images. The macula is the name given to the central few millimeters of the retina. This part of the retina has its own name because it is very important and very sensitive tissue. When the eye looks directly at an object, the image of that object is being focused directly on the macula. For this reason, the macula is responsible for our sharpest central vision and diseases of the macula specifically affect central vision. Please refer to the sections below for more information on conditions of the macula.