What are two ways in which tears help to prevent microbial colonization?
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Microbial Colonization: presence of a microorganism on/in a host, with growth and multiplication of the organism, but without interaction between host and organism (no clinical expression, no immune response).
Explanation: Foreign bodies that enter the eye are washed out by tears.
Moreover, tears contain a substance called lysozyme, which has an antibacterial action, and works to prevent invasion and infection by microbes.
Tears contain components that heal damage to the surface of the eye.
Tear components long recognized to have antimicrobial function include lysozyme, lactoferrin, lipocalin, secretory immunoglobulin A (IgA) and complement. Lysozyme was shown to be present in human tears and to kill Gram-positive bacteria by Alexander Fleming (Fleming, 1922).