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The mysterious composition of tears: Why are emotional tears so different from stimulation tears?
Tears, the external expression of human emotion, are often seen as a symbol of vulnerability and vulnerability, but in fact they contain a deeper biological meaning. Tears are secreted by the lacrimal glands located in the eyes and contain components such as water, electrolytes, proteins, lipids and mucus. Although all mammals produce tears, their secretion and composition are divided into three types: basal tears, reflex tears and emotional tears. Among them, the composition of emotional tears is the most special.
Emotional tears often contain higher concentrations of stress hormones such as adrenocorticotropic hormone and collagen, suggesting that emotional tears may have a biological role in balancing stress hormone levels.
First, we need to understand the composition of tears. Tears can be divided into three layers: lipid layer, inorganic layer and mucus layer. The proportions and functions of these components vary. For basal tears, its main function is to lubricate the eyeball and maintain eye health and stability. Reflex tears are activated in response to stimuli, such as the smell of onions or dust, to remove foreign objects. Emotional tears, on the other hand, are released in situations of intense emotion (such as sadness, anger, or extreme happiness) and are usually accompanied by crying. This is one of the reasons why elegant music or touching movies can trigger tears.
In almost all cultures, crying is usually accompanied by the sight of tears running down the cheeks, accompanied by a characteristic whimpering sound.
Such emotional pulsations do not just mean the release of emotions, but may also be a biological mechanism that helps people cope with stress. Some research suggests that the release of emotional tears helps reduce emotion-related stress, thereby promoting psychological balance. Therefore, when we feel sad about something, the tears we shed are not just an expression of emotion, but may also play a physiological role in calming the mood.
Tear excretion and physiology
The process of tear production and excretion involves complex physiological mechanisms. Tears secreted by the lacrimal glands flow to the surface of the eyeball through the main excretory ducts, and are evenly distributed on the surface of the eyeball every time you blink. After tears collect in the eye, they enter the tear lake, then flow into the lacrimal sac, and then into the nasal cavity through the nasolacrimal duct. Therefore, when the emotion is so strong that there are too many tears, it will cause a runny nose in the nasal cavity, which is why people often sneeze or have a runny nose when crying.
The impact of culture and society
In many cultures, the flow of tears that accompanies crying is an unspoken sign, but its acceptance varies from culture to culture. In Western culture, it is common and accepted for women to cry with their children, while men may face more social pressure to cry. In some Latin cultures, expressions of male sensuality are viewed with greater tolerance. This shows the diverse meanings of emotion and culture.
Research has shown that the expression of tears actually expresses a need for help and can promote compassionate and supportive behavior by bystanders.
Emotional tears not only reflect an individual's emotional state to some extent, but may also inspire social resonance and care. Modern psychotherapy also often regards crying as a healthy behavior that promotes emotional catharsis. All this shows that our tears are an important cultural and biological phenomenon on a physiological, psychological and social level.
Pathological perspective
In addition to general tear production, certain pathological conditions can also affect tear secretion. In "crocodile tears syndrome", patients with nerve damage may involuntarily shed tears while eating. In addition, dry eye syndrome is a common condition of insufficient tears, causing dryness and discomfort in the eyes. These conditions demonstrate the importance of tears in maintaining eye health.
Conclusion
The connection between the composition of tears and emotion, as well as the sociocultural influence on emotional expression, reveals a complex and interesting interaction between human emotions and biology. Is this a physiological need, or is it an emotional expression given to us by culture?
