The morphology of human conjunctival mucus
A. D. Adams
Normal human conjuctival mucus was examined by permeable membrane filter
(Millipore) surface biopsy and instillation of India ink. It exists in
solution in the tear film, as clusters of granules, as granular sheets, and
as strands, the latter often arranged as a network. This mucus network
entraps exfoliated epithelial cells, miscellaneous surface debris, carbon
particles (from the India ink) and bacteria, and stains positively for
lipid. Blinking causes both collapse of this mucus network into a single
strand and movement of this strand to the medial canthus, where it compacts
and is pushed onto the skin surface. There it dries and either falls off or
is removed by rubbing. It is suggested that the formation and collapse of
this mucus network represents a system for removing exfoliated surface
cells and debris, infection and foreign particles, and lipid-contaminated
mucus from the surface of the normal eye.
