Embryological development of the ocular system is the formation of the eye during pregnancy. While the process continues throughout gestation, it is not complete even at birth. The newly formed eyes are unable to see the same as those of an adult. Babies have much lower numbers of photoreceptors and the ones present are still immature, resulting in poor vision, especially at distances (myopia). It takes another two to three years before the child's eyes are fully functional.

Ocular tissues are derived from all embryonic layers: ectoderm—surface ectoderm (lens, all eye epithelia, epidermis of the eyelids, lacrimal gland) and neural ectoderm (retina, retinal pigment epithelium, optic nerve), mesoderm (blood vessel endothelium) and endoderm.

The human eye begins to develop in the second week of pregnancy with formation of the optic primordium. This develops into the optic vesicle at 22 days, which...