Tear Facts

While many animals produce tears for lubrication and protection, humans are unique in shedding tears in response to emotions such as sadness, joy, or frustration.

Babies cry but they don't produce tears until one to three months after birth.

In space, astronauts can cry, but their tears don't flow down their faces. Without gravity, tears form a liquid ball that sticks to the eye, gradually growing larger until it spreads across the nose to the other eye or needs to be wiped away with a towel.

While newborns have tear glands from birth, they typically do not produce visible crying tears until they are approximately two weeks to three months old.

Crying literally alleviates stress and uniquely allows humans to decrease feelings of anger and sadness.

The scent of women’s tears temporarily reduces sexual arousal and testosterone production in men.

If you were to cry in space, the tears would form a bubble in your eye until it's so big it moves to another spot on your face.