Can the tear gland be removed?

The lacrimal gland is an organ in the human eye that is used to secrete tears. It plays a very important role in the human body. The secretion of tears can keep the eyes moist and comfortable. Otherwise, people's eyes will become very dry and uncomfortable. Some people have such a question, that is, whether the tear glands of the human body can be removed, so let's take a detailed look at whether the tear glands can be removed.

The tear glands cannot be removed. The main function of our tear glands is to secrete tears and keep the eyes moist. If the tear glands are removed, the eyes will become dry and need to be maintained with medication, such as artificial tear eye drops. Therefore, the tear gland cannot be removed. The lacrimal gland is located in the lacrimal fossa of the frontal bone above the outer orbit. It is about 20 mm long and 12 mm wide. It is fixed to the orbital periosteum by connective tissue. The lateral aponeurosis of the levator palpebrae superioris muscle passes through it, dividing the lacrimal gland into the larger orbital lacrimal gland and the smaller palpebral lacrimal gland. Under normal circumstances, the lacrimal gland cannot be touched on the eyelid.

The lacrimal gland is composed of the alveoli that secrete tears and the ducts that drain the tears. The alveoli consist of two layers of cells. The cylindrical cells are the true lacrimal gland secretory cells, which surround a circular cavity. Outside the cylindrical cells there is a flat myoepithelium that is contractile, and outside of that is the basement membrane. The ducts have two layers of cells, the inner layer of cells are columnar or cubic, and the outer layer is flat. Its stroma comes from the mesoderm tissue deep in the conjunctiva. The secretions of the alveoli enter the collecting ducts between the lobules, which start as intralobular ducts, then move to extralobular ducts, and finally open into the excretory ducts.

The lacrimal gland has a total of 10 to 20 excretory ducts, which open into the temporal superior fornix conjunctiva. The lacrimal gland is an exocrine gland that produces serous fluid, namely tears, which are discharged into the conjunctival sac through the excretory duct, playing a lubricating and protective role for the eyeball. Tears come from the basal secretion and reflex secretion of the lacrimal gland. Basal secretions are produced by glands and tissues that secrete mucus, watery fluid, and lipids. During sleep, the basal secretion process still exists, and its secretion amount gradually decreases with age. There is no efferent innervation for basal secretion. Reflex secretion is produced by the lacrimal gland, which is controlled by nerves.