Updated January 01, 2014.

Question: Why do we blink our eyes?

Answer: Blinking is the quick action of closing and opening your eyelid. Blinking is necessary because it clears away dust particles and lubricates the eyeball. The average blink takes about 400 milliseconds, but the speed can be affected by many things such as fatigue, use of medication, and certain health conditions. Even though you probably don't notice it, the average person blinks approximately once every 10 seconds.

The human brain is capable of ignoring the darkness of a blink, allowing us to have a continuous view of the world.