Wednesday, April 8, 2009

Cry Me A River: The Psychology Of Crying

Behind the human eye lies a complex system of dozens of secretory and excretory glands bearing such names as "crypts of Henle" and "Wolfring's glands." These glands combine to produce basal tears that flow into the nasolacrimal duct, which in turn empties into the nose. Under the right conditions of irritation, emotion, or illness, the glands yield more liquid than the nasolacrimal duct can handle, causing tears to spill out and drain over the eyelids.

Thus crying, a rare human universal that we share with no other creature, for which reason Charles Darwin called it "a special expression of man." This week, a look at the psychology of crying.

TTFN, Fred.

Quote of the week: "Happiness is not achieved by the conscious pursuit of happiness; it is generally the by-product of other activities." - Aldous Huxley (English critic & novelist, 1894 - 1963)

(scroll over or click on iPaper below to have a drop-down menu that includes a print option)

Cry Me A River



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