Body systems & senses
Title: Why do we have eyelashes?
Information: Thank you for your question about eyelashes. When you blink, your eyelashes work with your eyelids to protect your eyes from dirt and other foreign objects. They also help to keep the eyes lubricated and clean by distributing secretions from special glands, called the glands of Zeis, which are located along the edge of the eyelid. Check out the KidsHealth website, produced by the Nemours Foundation, and read: "A Big Look at the Eye" for a description of the different parts of the eye and how they work. http://www.kidshealth.org/kid/body/eye_SW.html You can also perform an Internet search, using the Google search engine. Go tohttp://www.google.com and click on "Advanced Search." In the box where it says "with the exact phrase," type in your question: Why do we have eyelashes? I've listed below some good sites with answers to your question, some of which were posted previously by "Ask a Scientist" experts. "Why Do We Have Eyelashes?" This answer was posted by Dr. Leslie L. Hartzell, Zooarchaeologist, Research Scientist, Bishop Museum in Honolulu, Hawaii during National Science and Technology Week in 1997. http://www.nsf.gov/nstw_questions/biol/quest215.htm "Why Do We Have Eyelashes?" Christopher Sheil, PhD Candidate, Dept. of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, Herpetology, posted this answer during Global Science and Technology Week in 2002. http://www.nsf.gov/od/lpa/events/ask_sci/start.cfm?qid=1560&search_text=eyelash&cid=XX&bid=1 Being Human: "Why Do We Have Eyelashes and Eyebrows?" This page comes from the Discovery Channel, Canada. It briefly explains how eyebrows and eyelashes work together to protect the eye. http://exn.ca/human/brows.cfm Thank you for your question. You can also check with the librarian at your school or public library if you are interested in finding more resources on this topic. The AskNSDL staff
Category: Body systems & senses