为什么猫有内、外两层眼皮？.docVIP

Why do cats have an inner eyelid as well as outer ones? Scratch n Sniff: A Guide to Cats and Dogs How did house cats evolve? Can dogs talk? Why do cats purr? Find out, in our definitive report on the science of our best friends ?June 10, 2009 THIRD EYELID: Cats--and most other animals--have a third eyelid that comes in from the side to further protect their eyes from harm.Image: COURTESY OF PAUL MILLER Veterinarian Paul Miller of the University of Wisconsin-Madison explains. The inner eyelid of cats--more properly called the palpebra tertia but also known as the nictitating membrane, third eyelid or haw--has been regarded by some as a biological curiosity much like the human appendix or wisdom teeth. In fact, some veterinary articles in the early 1900s describe methods for removing this supposedly irrelevant structure so as to facilitate examination of the eye. Despite these perceptions, the third eyelid of cats plays an important role in maintaining the health of their eye surface. In fact, it is so important that among mammals and birds the norm is for a species to have a third eyelid and those lacking one--such as humans and some of our fellow primates--are the true oddities in nature. The anatomy of the third eyelid is complex. It is a fold of tissue covered by a specialized mucous membrane (the conjunctiva) that faces the inner surface of the eyelids (palpebral surface) on one side and the cornea on the other side (bulbar surface). Embedded in the bulbar surface is a dense population of lymphoid follicles that are in contact with the surface of the eye and the tear film, a thin layer of liquid. These structures function as the lymph nodes of the eye, trapping unwanted dirt and detritus. Between the two layers of conjunctiva is a dense T-shaped cartilage plate. The crossbar of this T cartilage stiffens the free edge of the third eyelid and is also curved so as to conform to the corneal surface. The stem of the T cartilage is surrounded by an accessory lacrimal g