Before we begin the dissection, it's important to take note of the key external structures of the fresh cow eye. First, the cornea is clear and very flexible. Also, the scolera is surrounded by a slippery flexible covering of fatty tissue and muscle. Finally, the optic nerve is clearly seen exiting the back of the eye. Using dissection scissors, trim away all of the exterior fat and muscle from around the scolera before beginning dissection. Since removing the tissue can take several minutes, we're going to speed the process up here to save time. One structure to observe while you are trimming the tissue from around the eye is the ring of muscle. This is the remnants of the muscle that actually controls the position of the eye within the eye socket. Another structure to take note is the optic nerve surrounded by a layer of fat at the back of the eye. Be careful when trimming away this fat as you may damage the optic nerve. Once the outside of the eye is prepared, we can begin the dissection.