The gland that produces tears is the?

• A. Lacrimal Ducts
• B. Lacrimal Fluid
• C. Conjunctiva
• D. Lacrimal Gland

Answer: (D)

Tears are produced by the lacrimal gland, which sits in the upper outer part of the eye socket. This gland makes lacrimal fluid, the tears that keep the eye moist, nourish the cornea, and contain protective enzymes. After secretion, the tears spread across the eye with blinking and drain through tiny channels called lacrimal ducts, leading to the lacrimal sac and nasolacrimal duct. The conjunctiva is the thin membrane covering the white of the eye and the inside of the eyelids, not a gland. So for the structure that actually produces tears, the lacrimal gland is the correct choice.