Explain how ciliary muscles and suspensory ligaments change the shape of the lens during accommodation.

In the subtopic The eye (biology only), this learning objective focuses on explain how ciliary muscles and suspensory ligaments change the shape of the lens during accommodation. Within The human nervous system, students should explain this idea in the exact curriculum context rather than as an isolated fact. Approved keywords for this objective include accommodation, ciliary muscles, lens, and suspensory ligaments. ciliary muscles means muscles that control the shape of the lens during accommodation by contracting or relaxing. Avoid students often confuse the roles of ciliary muscles and suspensory ligaments during accommodation, thinking they both contract or relax in the same way; instead remember that when focusing on near objects, ciliary muscles contract, causing the lens to become thicker, while suspensory ligaments loosen. For distant objects, ciliary muscles relax and suspensory ligaments tighten, making the lens thinner. For exam answers, create a diagram to illustrate how ciliary muscles and suspensory ligaments work together to change the shape of the lens during accommodation for near and distant objects.