Lacrimal apparatus

The lacrimal apparatus is the physiological system containing the orbital structures for tear production and drainage.[1]
It consists of:

Lacrimal apparatus
The lacrimal apparatus
Details
Identifiers
LatinApparatus lacrimalis
MeSHD007765
TA98A15.2.07.056
TA26845
FMA55605
Anatomical terminology


The blood supply to the lacrimal gland is provided by the ophthalmic artery with its branch - the lacrimal artery, while the venous blood is drained from this region via the superior ophthalmic vein. The lacrimal system is made up of a secretory system, which produces tears, and an excretory system, which drains the tears. The lacrimal gland is primarily responsible for producing emotional or reflexive tears. As tears are produced, some fluid evaporates between blinks, and some is drained through the lacrimal punctum. The tears that are drained through the punctum will eventually be drained through the nose. Any excess fluid that did not go into the punctum will fall over the eyelid, which produces tears that are cried.[2]

References

This article incorporates text in the public domain from page 1028 of the 20th edition of Gray's Anatomy (1918)

  1. Cassin, B. and Solomon, S. Dictionary of Eye Terminology. Gainesville, Florida: Triad Publishing Company, 1990.
  2. Lutz, Tom (1999). Crying : the natural and cultural history of tears (1. ed.). New York: W. W. Norton. pp. 69–70. ISBN 0-393-04756-3.


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