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Why do we blink our eyes?
[ 2006-02-13 08:30 ]
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| Why do
we blink our eyes? |
Notes:
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 Blinking, as opposed to batting, our eyes
automatically supplies two forms of moisture to our eyes, to
keep them from drying out, and to keep foreign matter from
entering and irritating our eyes. Eyelids themselves, our
built-in "wind-shield wipers," are merely folds of skin,
controlled by muscles capable of expanding and contracting so
rapidly, that blinking does not impair our vision. Mother
Nature lined the rims of our eyelids with 20-30 sebaceous,
oil-producing glands, which are located between our eyelashes,
and are invisible to the naked eye. Blinking automatically
coats the eyelid and eyelashes with the lubricant it secretes,
to prevent them from drying out.
Blinking also protects the eye from dryness by irrigating,
not by irritating, the eye, The eyelid, through suction,
automatically draws the fluid we cry with from the well we
refer to as the tear duct over the eyeball, to irrigate, and
to moisturize the eye. The process is similar to the manner in
which the farmer uses water to irrigate his crops during a dry
spell.
Yet another benefit of blinking, is to shield the eye from
foreign bodies. Our eyelashes, short, curved, hairs, attached
to the eyelids, serve as dust-catchers, as the blinking reflex
causes them automatically to lower, when exposed to harsh
elements. Nature endowed the camel with extraordinarily long,
curly, eyelashes, to protect his eyes from sudden sandstorms
in the desert. Incidentally, the "camel eyelash" look is one
many women attempt to duplicate by using an eyelash curler!
Eyebrows, by the way, also serve their purpose, as they catch
the run-off perspiration produces. |
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