Why do we cry?

Crying seems like a strange physical response to our emotional turmoil. Why do we start the waterworks when we feel really sad? Well,crying does not only happen when we are emotional,there are actually three types of tears. Basal tears are perpetually lubricating our eyes keeping them from drying out while reflex tears act in response to an irritant like onions or dust. They begin a chain reaction releasing hormones from the brain,which then trigger a tear response from the glands in the eyelids,and these tears help to get rid of the irritant. But how about the tears of sadness? In many cases,emotional tears are able to act as a signal for others to know our genuine sadness or distress. That is not always easy to fake. Our tears blur our vision, especially handicapping any aggressive or defensive actions,sendin those nearby,a sense of appeasement or attachment. This increases communication with those close to us and ultimately our chance of survival. What about tears of joy? Well,perhaps,they are not so different,after all,tears of happiness may still be used as social signals of how we feel,and are often thought to strengthen bonds between people. Also,both emotions see activity in similar regions of the brain,such as the hypothalamus and basal ganglia,which are connected to our tear glands. Crying is one of our body's mechanisms to literally shed our stress. Interestingly,reflex tears and emotional tears have very different composition. Emotional tears have much higher levels of proteins,in particular,some called 'adrenocorticotropic hormones' which are linked to high stress levels. Crying also helps to release these stress chemicals from the body,but this might not be conclusive.