Lacrimal apparatus

Lacrimal apparatus
Lacrimal apparatus
	The lacrimal apparatus
Details
Identifiers
Latin	Apparatus lacrimalis
MeSH	D007765
TA98	A15.2.07.056
TA2	6845
FMA	55605
	Anatomical terminology [edit on Wikidata]

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

The lacrimal gland, which secretes the tears, and its excretory ducts, which convey the fluid to the surface of the human eye; it is a j-shaped serous gland located in lacrimal fossa.
The lacrimal canaliculi, the lacrimal sac, and the nasolacrimal duct, by which the fluid is conveyed into the cavity of the nose, emptying anterioinferiorly to the inferior nasal conchae from the nasolacrimal duct;
The innervation of the lacrimal apparatus involves both the a sympathetic supply through the carotid plexus of nerves around the internal carotid artery, and parasympathetically from the lacrimal nucleus of the facial nerve.

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)

^ Cassin, B. and Solomon, S. Dictionary of Eye Terminology. Gainesville, Florida: Triad Publishing Company, 1990.
^ 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.

External links[]

Diagram at hixie.ch

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[Cassin-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.

[1]

[2]

show v t The orbit of the eye
Bones	Frontal bone Zygomatic bone Maxillary bone Sphenoid bone Ethmoid bone Palatine bone Lacrimal bone
Muscles	Superior rectus muscle Inferior rectus muscle Lateral rectus muscle Medial rectus muscle Superior oblique muscle Trochlea of superior oblique Inferior oblique muscle
Eyelid	Levator palpebrae superioris muscle Tarsus Medial palpebral ligament Epicanthic fold Meibomian gland Ciliary glands Eyelash Palpebral fissure Canthus Gland of Zeis
Lacrimal apparatus	Lacrimal canaliculi Lacrimal caruncle Lacrimal gland Accessory lacrimal glands Krause's glands Ciaccio's glands Lacrimal lake Lacrimal papilla Lacrimal punctum Lacrimal sac Nasolacrimal duct
Other	Eyebrow Unibrow Conjunctiva Plica semilunaris Orbital septum Periorbita Suspensory ligament of eyeball Tenon's capsule

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