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Tarsal plate of lower eyelid: anatomy, location and function

The tarsal plate of the lower eyelid is a thin plate of dense connective tissue that stiffens the lower lid. It supports the eyelid shape and holds tarsal (meibomian) glands.

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Highlighted in the model: Tarsal plate of lower eyelid. Click any part to read about it, or switch off “Highlight topic” to see the whole body. 3D data: BodyParts3D, © The Database Center for Life Science, CC BY 4.0; meshes simplified and recoloured. The model is an adult male.

Tarsal plate of lower eyelid at a glance

What it is
The tarsal plate of the lower eyelid is a thin plate of dense connective tissue that stiffens the lower lid.
Location
It lies within the lower eyelid, deep to orbicularis oculi and next to the conjunctiva.
Function
It supports the eyelid shape and holds tarsal (meibomian) glands.
Body system
Eye & ear · paired (left and right)
FMA ID
FMA59090 (Foundational Model of Anatomy)

Key facts

  • Smaller than the upper tarsal plate.
  • Meibomian glands secrete oil that reduces tear evaporation.

Clinical relevance

Blocked meibomian glands cause chalazion.

Structures next to the tarsal plate of lower eyelid

The nearest named structures in the 3D model, measured from the centre of each part:

References

  1. Foundational Model of Anatomy: Tarsal plate of lower eyelid (FMA59090). EMBL-EBI Ontology Lookup Service.
  2. OpenStax. Anatomy and Physiology 2e, §14.1 Sensory Perception. Rice University, 2022.
  3. Mitsuhashi N. et al. (2009). BodyParts3D: 3D structure database for anatomical concepts. Nucleic Acids Research 37, D782–D785. Data © The Database Center for Life Science, CC BY 4.0.

Related anatomy

Explore the whole body in the interactive 3D human anatomy model, or browse the A–Z list of human structures.