The Science Behind Emotional Tears: Why We Cry
In The Science Behind Emotional Tears: Why We Cry, host Harith Iskander explains the different types of tears: basal tears that keep the eyes moist, reflex tears that occur when you cut onions or get something in your eye, and emotional tears triggered by strong feelings. This video is excerpted from BBC’s Got Science?, a science magazine series that explores and explains science in everyday life.
Lesson Express
Q: What are the three types of tears, and how do they work?
A: Basal tears keep our eyes moist, reflex tears happen when something irritates our eyes, and emotional tears happen when we feel strong emotions like happiness or sadness.
Q: How do emotional tears help our bodies?
A: Emotional tears help relieve pain and stress by releasing special hormones, and they also clean out toxins from the body.
Q: What is the role of the hypothalamus when we cry?
A: The hypothalamus is the part of the brain that controls our feelings and tells the body to produce emotional tears when we feel a strong emotion.