Which eyelid structure is a cartilage-like plate that harbors the meibomian glands and provides lid support?

• A. Stress lines
• B. Tenon's fascia
• C. Trabecular meshwork
• D. Tarsus

Answer: (D)

The eyelid’s supporting framework is the tarsal plate, a dense, cartilage-like plate of connective tissue that gives the lid its shape and rigidity. Embedded within it are the meibomian glands, long sebaceous glands whose ducts open at the lid margin. Their lipid secretions form the oily layer of the tear film, helping prevent evaporation and keeping the eye comfortable. Tenons fascia surrounds the eyeball, not the lid’s interior structure; the trabecular meshwork is part of the eye’s drainage system in the anterior chamber angle. Stress lines describe skin creases, not a lid’s internal support or glandular habitat.