What is the main component of the eye that helps focus light?

The lens is the primary component of the eye responsible for focusing light onto the retina. Its flexible structure allows it to change shape through a process called accommodation, which enables the eye to adjust focus for objects at varying distances. When light enters the eye, it first passes through the cornea, which provides some level of initial focusing, but the lens refines that focus to ensure a clear image is formed on the retina.

The cornea plays a significant role in the overall focusing process, but it does not have the same ability to change shape or adapt focus as the lens does. The retina, on the other hand, is responsible for receiving and processing the light focused by the lens, transforming it into neural signals for the brain. The pupil regulates the amount of light entering the eye but does not play a direct role in focusing that light.