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The Eye Quiz
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Which structure is mainly responsible for draining tears from the eye into the nasal cavity?
- A Meibomian glands within the eyelids You picked ✕
- B Lacrimal sac continuing as the nasolacrimal duct You picked ✓
- C Conjunctival sac surrounding the eyeball You picked ✕
- D Lacrimal gland located in the superolateral orbit You picked ✕
- E Extra-ocular muscles controlling eye movement You picked ✕
Correct!
Incorrect
The answer is B: Lacrimal sac continuing as the nasolacrimal duct
Explanation
Why B is correct
See Lacrimal Apparatus. Option B is correct: the lacrimal sac, which continues downwards as the nasolacrimal duct, drains tears into the nasal cavity. The lacrimal apparatus consists of the lacrimal gland and the lacrimal sac with its duct. The lacrimal gland lies in the superolateral part of the orbit (above and to the outer side of the eye) and produces tears, which are spread across the eyeball by blinking. The lacrimal sac lies at the medial edge of the eye, in a groove formed by the lacrimal bone and the frontal process of the maxilla, and it extends down as the nasolacrimal duct, which empties into the inferior meatus of the nasal cavity (a passage along the floor of the nose). This is why crying makes the nose run. A simple memory aid: tears are made at the top and outer corner, and they drain at the inner corner, down and into the nose.
- Drainage: Tears drain through the lacrimal sac and the nasolacrimal duct into the nasal cavity.
- Outlet: The duct empties into the inferior meatus of the nose.
- Production: The lacrimal gland, in the upper outer part of the orbit, makes the tears.
Why the other options are incorrect
- A. Meibomian glands within the eyelids: The Meibomian glands lie in the tarsal plates and secrete oil that slows the evaporation of tears. Blockage causes a chalazion, and they do not drain tears. Your answer
- C. Conjunctival sac surrounding the eyeball: The conjunctival sac is the space between the eyelids and eyeball lined by the conjunctiva (the thin mucous membrane over the eye). Tears spread through it but do not drain through it into the nose. Your answer
- D. Lacrimal gland located in the superolateral orbit: The lacrimal gland sits above and to the outer side of the eyeball and produces tears. It is the source of the tears, not the drainage route. Your answer
- E. Extra-ocular muscles controlling eye movement: The extraocular muscles move the eyeball and have no role in the drainage of tears. Your answer
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More questions from this set. Start the quiz to answer them and see each explanation.
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1
Which muscle is mainly responsible for tightly closing the eyelids, and which nerve supplies it?
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2
Which change occurs in the eye during accommodation (focusing) for viewing a near object?
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