The art of tears

[bixaorellana]

The Topography of Tears is a study of 100 tears photographed through a standard light microscope.
...
Tears are the medium of our most primal language in moments as unrelenting as death, as basic as hunger, and as complex as a rite of passage. They are the evidence of our inner life overflowing its boundaries, spilling over into consciousness.

from:
The Topography of Tears <-- click

more information, including scientific, here.


Laughing tears, photo © Rose-Lynn Fisher, courtesy of the artist and Craig Krull Gallery, Santa Monica, CA

[Deleted]

I would think that most differences in tears would be caused by how much a person cries, not what made them cry. A first burst of tears would probably have a different salt/mineral/pollution content from someone who has been crying their eyes out for hours.

However, I am willing to entertain the idea that the reason for crying might modify the chemical content slightly.