Tears

Tears, fluid produced in the lacrimal glands above the outside corner of each eye. The fluid lubricates the eyes and protects them from foreign matter and infection—the latter because it contains salt and lysozyme, an enzyme that kills microorganisms. During normal flow, tears constantly wash over the exterior of the eye and collect at its inside corner, where they drain through two small lacrimal ducts into the nasal cavity. During heavy tear flow, such as that caused by irritation, the excess fluid that is not taken up by the lacrimal ducts spills over the eyelids, carrying off foreign bodies too large to be flushed through the lacrimal ducts.