Printer Friendly
Dictionary, Encyclopedia and Thesaurus - The Free Dictionary
3,914,562,482 visitors served.
forum Join the Word of the Day Mailing List For webmasters
?
Dictionary/
thesaurus
Medical
dictionary
Legal
dictionary
Financial
dictionary
Acronyms
 
Idioms
Encyclopedia
Wikipedia
encyclopedia
?

Meibomian Glands

   Also found in: Dictionary/thesaurus, Medical, Wikipedia 0.01 sec.
Meibomian Glands 

(tarsal glands), modified sebaceous glands in the tissue of the eyelids in man and most mammals (except monotremes and aquatic species); named for the German anatomist H. Meibom (1638–1700).

Each meibomian gland consists of numerous alveoli that discharge a secretion into a common efferent duct that opens onto the edge of the eyelid at the base of the eyelashes. The secretion is fatty and serves to coat the eyelids, protecting their edges from wetting by tears; it also contains bactericidal substances. There are 30–40 of the glands in the human upper lid and 20–30 in the lower.



Want to thank TFD for its existence? Tell a friend about us, add a link to this page, add the site to iGoogle, or visit the webmaster's page for free fun content.
?Page tools
Printer friendly
Cite / link
Feedback
Mentioned in?  References in periodicals archive?   Encyclopedia browser?   Full browser?
No references found
 
The eyelids contain many oil producing glands called meibomian glands.
The added warmth helps open the meibomian glands, which secrete the oily lipid layer of the tear film, slowing the evaporation of natural tears, the company says.
Therefore, an increased blinking frequency could produce more secretion from the meibomian glands and therefore a longer break-up time.
 
 
 
Encyclopedia
?

Terms of Use | Privacy policy | Feedback | Advertise with Us | Copyright © 2012 Farlex, Inc.
Disclaimer
All content on this website, including dictionary, thesaurus, literature, geography, and other reference data is for informational purposes only. This information should not be considered complete, up to date, and is not intended to be used in place of a visit, consultation, or advice of a legal, medical, or any other professional.