Which extraocular muscle is strongest and turns the eye towards the nose?

The medial rectus is the strongest extraocular muscle responsible for adducting the eye, which means it turns the eye towards the nose. This muscle is one of the six extraocular muscles that control eye movements and is innervated by the oculomotor nerve (CN III).

The strength of the medial rectus can be attributed to its role in both normal visual function and the convergence necessary for binocular vision, especially when focusing on nearby objects. When the medial rectus contracts, it pulls the eye inward, making it essential for tasks that require depth perception and close-up viewing.

In contrast, the lateral rectus is responsible for abducting the eye (turning it outward), while the superior oblique and inferior rectus have different functions related to vertical and rotational movements of the eye. Therefore, the medial rectus stands out as the muscle that not only acts with considerable strength but also plays a critical role in turning the eye towards the midline, or the nose.