Illustration copyright 2000 by Nucleus Communications, Inc. All rights reserved. http://www.nucleusinc.com

When the eye blinks, the lids push the tears across the eye into the drains (puncta) at the inner corner. The drains empty into channels (canaliculi) that connect the eye with the nose. The channels drain into tear sacs (lacrimal sacs) that lie beside the nose. The sacs narrow into tear ducts (lacrimal ducts) that drain through the nasal bone into the nostrils.