Talk:Harderian gland

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Are Harderian glands considered part of the tear apparatus?

For animals that have a harderian gland and/or prominent nictitating membranes, is there a consensus among biologists that the fluid produced by those is part of tears? And is the fluid produced in the eyes of animals without lacrimal glands considered tears, or is it just an [unnamed] protective coating on the eye?

The nictitating membrane article refers to harderian gland secretions as part of tears, but I didn't know if that's actually a common terminology.

Harder's gland is attached to the nictating membranes of some animals and may produce up to 50% of the tear film.

If these are widely considered part of the tearing apparatus, they should probably at least be mentioned in tears article. The void century (talk) 23:38, 17 July 2022 (UTC)[reply]