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Crying

For other uses, see Crying (disambiguation). "Cry" redirects here. For other uses, see Cry (disambiguation). "Weep" redirects here. For other uses, see Weep (disambiguation).

a young child in a pink sweater crying and looking sad
A young child crying

Crying is the dropping of tears (or welling of tears in the eyes) in response to an emotional state or physical pain. Emotions that can lead to crying include sadness, anger, joy, and fear. Crying can also be caused by relief from a period of stress or anxiety, or as an empathetic response. The act of crying has been defined as "a complex secretomotor phenomenon characterized by the shedding of tears from the lacrimal apparatus, without any irritation of the ocular structures", instead, giving a relief which protects from conjunctivitis.[1] A related medical term is lacrimation, which also refers to the non-emotional shedding of tears. Various forms of crying are known as sobbing, weeping, wailing, whimpering, bawling, and blubbering.[2]

For crying to be described as sobbing, it usually has to be accompanied by a set of other symptoms, such as slow but erratic inhalation, occasional instances of breath holding, and muscular tremor.

A neuronal connection between the lacrimal gland and the areas of the human brain involved with emotion has been established.[3]

Tears produced during emotional crying have a chemical composition which differs from other types of tears. They contain significantly greater quantities of the hormones prolactin, adrenocorticotropic hormone, and Leu-enkephalin,[4] and the elements potassium and manganese.[5]

  1. ^ Patel V (1993). "Crying behavior and psychiatric disorder in adults: a review". Comprehensive Psychiatry. 34 (3): 206–11. doi:10.1016/0010-440X(93)90049-A. PMID 8339540. Quoted by Michelle C.P. Hendriks, A.J.J.M. Vingerhoets in Crying: is it beneficial for one's well-being?
  2. ^ "List of 426 Sets of Synonyms and How they Differ in Meaning". Paulnoll.com. Archived from the original on 29 December 2014. Retrieved 4 August 2014.
  3. ^ Dartt DA (2009). "Neural regulation of lacrimal gland secretory processes: Relevance in dry eye diseases". Progress in Retinal and Eye Research. 28 (3): 155–177. doi:10.1016/j.preteyeres.2009.04.003. PMC 3652637. PMID 19376264.
  4. ^ Skorucak A. "The Science of Tears". ScienceIQ.com. Archived from the original on 14 November 2017. Retrieved 25 May 2019.
  5. ^ Walter C (December 2006). "Why do we cry?". Scientific American Mind. 17 (6): 44. doi:10.1038/scientificamericanmind1206-44.

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