part_of
part of
part of
innervated_by
only in taxon
in taxon
produces
produces
Tetrapoda
Primates
Homo sapiens
Perissodactyla
camera-type eye
exocrine gland
ectoderm-derived structure
Harderian gland
In some animals it acts as an accessory to the lacrimal gland, secreting fluid that eases movement of the nictitating membrane[WP]
In mammals, the gland excretes an oily substance used to preen the fur[WP]
In mouse the HG appears in the posterior part of eye region, in the form of nonluminated tubules between the sixteenth and eighteenth days of gestation. At birth it is still not differentiated histologically. In birds the HG originates from the conjunctival epithelium at a late embryonic stage. In the English sparrow, Passer domesticus (incubation period of about 13 days), it appears between the seventh and the eighth days of incubation. In the chick embryo (incubation period of about 21 days) it originates between the eleventh and the twelfth days.[PMID:9156609]
In the limbless, burrowing amphibian Apoda (Caecilians) the harderian gland is very large, filling much of the orbit and lubricating a retractile sensory tentacle rather than the eye (Walls, 1942; Wolff, 1948).
eye gland
medial gland of ocular region
inferior branch of oculomotor nerve
secretion of Harderian gland