Final answer:
The lacrimal bone is part of the orbit, housing a depression called the lacrimal fossa, and is essential for tear drainage from the eye into the nasal cavity.
Step-by-step explanation:
The lacrimal bone is a small, rectangular bone found at the anterior, medial wall of the eye socket, known as the orbit. Its function is integral to the lacrimal apparatus, which facilitates tear (lacrimal fluid) drainage. The bone has a depression called the lacrimal fossa that leads to the nasolacrimal canal. Tears from the eye are collected and drain through this duct, which then opens behind the inferior nasal concha into the nasal cavity. This drainage pathway is essential in keeping the eye surface moist and clears away debris.
The lacrimal gland, situated above the lateral aspect of the eye, secretes tears that reach the eye surface and then pass to the medial corner of the eye. Here, they enter the nasolacrimal duct through openings called lacrimal puncta, eventually reaching the lacrimal sac before flowing down the duct into the nasal cavity.