The
uvea (
Lat. uva, grape), also called the
uveal layer,
uveal coat,
uveal tract, or
vascular tunic, is the pigmented middle of the three concentric layers that make up an
eye. The name is possibly a reference to its reddish-blue or almost black colour, wrinkled appearance and grape-like size and shape when stripped intact from a cadaveric eye. Its use as a technical term in
anatomy and
ophthalmology is relatively modern.