Catherine Cain 11/27/15
Biology Current
Event Mrs. McClellan D Block
Odd
Achieving long, luxurious eyelashes is not simply a
new fashion trend. Long eyelashes have
been considered an enviable trait even from ancient times. Recently, one group
of researchers demonstrated that the length of the eyelashes is not merely a
fashion concern, but appears to play an important role in protecting the eyes.
Over the years, scientists have
offered various, different explanations to explain why mammals would have
eyelashes. Among these theories are that they are there to protect the eyes
from dust and particles, to act as sensors to trigger blinking, or to protect
and to lubricate the eyes. They also thought, in humans, they might have
developed to play a role in sex and mating. Researcher David Hu became
intrigued with eyelashes and their biological function after the birth of his
daughter. He set out with the help of
colleagues and graduate students in his biomechanics lab at the Georgia
Institute of Technology to investigate and measure the eyelashes of 22
different mammals (virtually all of which have eyelashes). They created
artificial eyes with lashes, put them in a wind tunnel, and blew air at them.
They then created mathematical models of airflow in the presence of the lashes.
The results showed that eyelashes are always about
one-third as long as the eye is wide. This turns out to be the ideal length for
diverting airflow around the eye thus reducing evaporation from its surface.
According to Dr. Hu’s study, if eyelashes are too long, they channel air to the
eye (long false eyelash wearers beware). Dr. Hu acknowledged that while all the
theories regarding the functions of eyelashes may be true, the changing of
airflow around the eye is so important that, from the largest to the smallest
mammal, the proportion of lash length to eye width does not change. Dr. Hu
hopes that his research may have some practical applications to things such as
solar panels, which may suffer reduced efficiency when particles and debris
deposit on them.
I enjoyed reading this article very
much. The topic was interesting, the
writing was easy to follow, and the explanations were direct and straightforward.
The comments of other scientists regarding Dr. Hu’s findings impressed me that
his work was clever and valuable. That said, the article does not address the
evidence for alternate theories or why they are less relevant. The most relatable part of the article, I thought,
was the detail that Dr. Hu came up with his topic from staring into his infant
daughter’s face and noticing how her eyelashes behaved, which inspired him to
explore this line of research. I am sure many of us have looked in the mirror
and wondered why we have eyelashes, but it took his insight to answer that
question.
Citation
Gorman,
James. "Length of Lashes Keeps Eyes From Drying, Study Finds." The
New York Times. The New York Times, 24 Feb. 2015. Web. 27 Feb. 2015.
Link
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