Example of a blinking eye (slow-motion)

Blinking is the rapid closing and opening of the eyelid. It is an essential function of the eye that helps spread tears across and remove irritants from the surface of the cornea and conjunctiva. On average, a blink takes approximately 300 to 400 milliseconds ^[1]. Blink speed can be affected by elements such as fatigue, eye injury, medication, and disease. A person approximately blinks once every two to ten seconds. The blinking rate is determined by the “blinking center”, but it can also be affected by external stimulus. When an animal (usually human) chooses to blink only one eye as a signal to another in a social setting (a form of body language), it is known as winking. However, some animals (for example, tortoises and hamsters) blink their eyes independently of each other. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... An eyelid is a thin fold of skin and muscle that covers and protects an eye. ... // A human eye. ... Also see: Tears (song) by X Japan, or Tears (film) by Im Sang-soo. ... The cornea is the transparent front part of the eye that covers the iris, pupil, and anterior chamber, providing most of an eyes optical power [1]. Together with the lens, the cornea refracts light and, as a result, helps the eye to focus. ... The conjunctiva is a membrane that covers the sclera (white part of the eye) and lines the inside of the eyelids. ... Trinomial name Homo sapiens sapiens Linnaeus, 1758 Humans, or human beings, are bipedal primates belonging to the mammalian species Homo sapiens (Latin: wise man or knowing man) in the family Hominidae (the great apes). ... This article or section is in need of attention from an expert on the subject. ... A man winking his right eye The wink is an intentional facial expression made by closing one eye; it is distinguished from the blink by the fact that the other eye remains open. ... For the band, see Tortoise (band). ... Genera see text This article is about the animal. ...

Function and anatomy of blinking

Blinking provides moisture to the eye by irrigation using tears and a lubricant the eyes 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 attached to 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. A closed eye, displaying lashes The eye now open — lashes less visible An eyelash or simply lash is one of the hairs that grow at the edge of the eyelid. ...

There are multiple muscles that control the reflex of blinking. The main muscles, in the upper eyelid, that control the opening and closing are the orbicularis oculi and levator palpebrae superioris muscle. The orbicularis oculi closes the eye, while the relaxation and contraction of the levator palpebrae muscle opens the eye. The Müller’s muscle, or the superior palpebral muscle, in the upper eyelid and the inferior palpebral muscle in the lower eyelid are responsible for widening the eyes. These muscles are not only imperative in blinking, but they are also important in many other functions such as squinting and winking. The Orbicularis oculi is a muscle of the human body. ... The levator palpebrae superioris muscle is a muscle in the orbit that elevates the superior (upper) eyelid. ...

Blinking in everyday life

Children: Infants do not blink at the same rate of adults, in fact infants only blink at an average rate of one or two times in a minute. The reason for this difference is unknown, but it is suggested that babies do not require the same amount of eye lubrication that adults do because their eyelid opening is smaller in relation to adults. Additionally, infants do not produce tears during their first month of life. Babies also get a significant amount more sleep than adults do, and, as discussed earlier, fatigued eyes blink more. However, throughout childhood the blink rate increases, and by adolescence, it is usually equivalent to adults. ^[2]

Adults: Women and men do not differ in their rates of spontaneous blinking ^[3], averaging around 10 blinks per minute in a laboratory setting. However, when the eyes are focused on object for an extended period of time, such as when reading, the rate of blinking decreases to about 3-4 times per minute. This is the major reason that eyes dry out and become fatigued when reading.

Eye blinking can be a criterion for diagnosing medical conditions. For example, excessive blinking may help to indicated the onset of Parkinson's disease, Tourette syndrome, stroke, and even nervous system disorders. Therefore, you should always mention to your doctor if you are experiencing any change in the rate of your blinking. For a more thorough list of symptoms and diseases that may be connected to blinking, visit http://www.wrongdiagnosis.com/sym/eye_blinking_symptoms.htm for more information. ^[4] Tourette syndrome (also called Tourettes syndrome, Tourettes disorder, Gilles de la Tourette syndrome, GTS or, more commonly, simply Tourettes or TS) is an inherited neurological disorder with onset in childhood, characterized by the presence of multiple physical (motor) tics and at least one vocal (phonic) tic; these...

References

1. ^ Robert A.Moses., in Adler's Physiology of the eye clinical application, Robert A.Moses., Ed. (Mosby, 1981) ,chap. 1, pp. 1-15.
2. ^ Why do babies blink less often than adults?
3. ^ M.J. Doughty, 2002, Optom Vis Sci
4. ^ Eye Blinking Symptoms

See also

• Corneal reflex
• Reflex action
• Keratoconjunctivitis sicca or dry eyes