Close up portrait of grieving, crying women in her 50's with eyes closed looking down and hand on chin against blue background I bloody love a good cry. A happy cry, sad cry, cathartic cry. If there are strong emotions happening, you can guarantee that I will be in tears at one point or another. I’m not alone, either. Despite us Brits having a reputation for a ‘stiff upper lip’, according to YouGov survey data, we’re a teary nation and 51% of us think it’s acceptable to cry at work. I always thought that my love for crying was because I’m incredibly sensitive and constantly looking for an outlet and maybe that is a part of it but, actually, crying or just producing tears often has a biological purpose beyond letting emotions out. In fact, depending on the cause, our tears are made up of different chemical compositions. The body is just so fascinating, isn’t it? We are all medical marvels. Different types of tears and their purposes Emotional tears These are the tears that we are mostly familiar with. Ones that come from emotional state changes – good or bad – and the types that flow freely when we’re overwhelmed or, you could say, moved to tears. Yale University explains: “Chemically different from basal and reactive tears, emotional tears contain leucine-enkephalin, a neuropeptide related to endorphins. It is this chemical that makes us feel better after we cry.” Basal tears Basal tears are responsible for keeping our eyes lubricated. They are our ‘baseline’ tears and are present in our eyes at all times. According to the American Academy of Ophthalmology, this can change with age. They explain: “Basal tear production slows with age, and this can lead to the development of dry eye. Dry eye is a common problem for people undergoing hormonal changes, especially women during pregnancy and menopause.” Reflexive tears Finally, we have reflexive tears. Cleveland Clinic explains:”Physical triggers cause reflex tears to form. They help wash away harmful irritants like dust, smoke or onion fumes. Reflex tears contain antibodies to help fight bacteria.” Related... Your Baby Is Fast Asleep, So Why Can You Hear Them Crying? I Thought Somatic Therapy Was Fake — 'Til I Started Crying In Yoga Class 5 Signs You're 'Emotionally Over-Functioning' In Your Relationship