8 tears seen under a microscope reveal different emotions.
Photographs of eight tears seen through a microscope.
There is scientific consensus about the types of tears that exist: basal tears (those that are continuously being secreted to lubricate the eye), reflex tears (secreted when foreign particles are detected in the eyes) or psychic tears(due to intense emotional states (sadness, happiness, anger...).
These three categories may seem simple, but they are not so simple if we detach ourselves from the scientific point of view and stick to the aesthetic point of view.
Different types of tears seen under the microscope
Photographer Rose-Lynn Fisher asked herself what the different types of tears would look like under a microscope, depending on their origin. The result is called The Topography of Tears.
Basal tears
We can see that the basal tears draw an asymmetric body.
Onion peeling tears
Onion peeling tears have a certain similarity to tree leaves. They create a very homogeneous design.
Tears due to laughter
The drawing of the tears we expel when we laugh is somewhat crazy.
Tears of grief or mourning
The drawing is, in this case, somewhat puzzling.
The difference in the shapes that can be seen in tears through the microscope are due in part to the emotional state of the person who has secreted them. Depending on the state of the neuroendocrine system, different hormones and neurotransmitters will be secreted, the amount and type of which will determine the molecular composition of the tears before they are released. In other words: as different moods follow different physiological processes, the bodily response they produce is also different.
On the other hand, the circumstances under which the tears have dried to become microscope specimens (crystallized salt) also affects the shape of these structures.
Ending and starting tears
Tears of release
Tears of emotional reunion
Tears of change
(Updated at Apr 12 / 2024)