Not All Tears Are Made the Same

Most of us assume when we cry that our tears are the same, then again most of us probably never gave a second thought to this. However Rose-Lynn Fisher did and she decided to compare her tears under a microscope. What Rose-Lynn found was a considerable and drastic difference between tears produced through lubrication and various types of emotion. She studied and produced her results in The Topography of Tears

There are different types of tears our body produces. Basal tears are produced by our body to lubricate our eyes. Reflex tears are usually produced in emergency situations with various diseases and disorders. There are also psychic tears produced by our emotional reactions. All of these tears are comprised of organic substances suspended in salt water. The organic substances can very and contain oils, antibodies and enzymes.

If you look at emotional tears they are comprised of protein based hormones. One of the neurotransmitter’s common in the tears is lucine encephalin which acts as a natural painkiller and is triggered to be released by our body during stressful situations.

While this is not a scientific study, it’s something cool with a microscope. Many of the pictures of crystalized tears are beautiful. It also brings up the old point that science is fun and should help to remind people why looking at a microscope when they were a kid is fun. Plus the uniqueness of a tear reminds of us of the uniqueness and ever changing environment of each of us and the goal of science, which is to better humans. Check out the page and enjoy the pics.