secrete. The eyelid provides suction across the eye from the tear duct to the entire eyeball to keep it from drying out.Blinking also protects the eye from irritants. Eyelashes are hairs which grow from the edges of the upper and lower eyelids that create a line of defense against dust and other elements to the eye. The eyelashes catch most of these irritants before they reach the eyeball.

There are multiple muscles that control reflexes of blinking. The main muscles, in