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Ever wonder why do our eyes have tiny little hairs? They are so tiny! What could they possibly do? What uses could they have?
Eyelashes are tiny hairs that grow along the edge of our eyelids. In many cultures, long eyelashes are considered a sign of beauty. Many eye makeup practices have thus been developed to enhance the look of one's eyelashes.
(Image credit: Wikimedia Commons under Creative Commons licence)
Besides being a subject of beauty, do the eyelashes have other uses?
Eyelashes protects your eyes. They keep debris and dust from falling into your eyes.
(Image credit: Wikimedia Commons under Creative Commons licence)
Eyelashes also help to control airflow and rate of evaporation on the surface of the eyes (called cornea). Most eyelashes are one third the length of your eye. This length helps to minimize airflow over the eyeball. The eye can then stay moist for a longer period of time. This helps to keep particles away too.
These tiny hairs also acts like sensors.
They cause your eyes to blink when an object gets too near. It is quite amazing that something so small and tiny could help protect your eyes from getting hurt!
Eyelashes are found in other mammals. Animals like cows, horses and dogs have eyelashes too! Camel's eyelashes are noticeably longer and thicker! All better to keep out the sand in the desert!
(Image credit: Wikimedia Commons under Creative Commons licence)
