|
|
Re: Tears
Elaine Morgan (Elaine@desco.demon.co.uk)
Thu, 13 Jul 1995 11:18:05 GMT
On tears : No, the salinity if tears in modern humans is not as far as
I know different from that of the apes. What is different is the
innervation.
Ape tears like those of land mammals in general are triggered off by
the presence of irritants like dust or smoke, as ours often are.But
hman tears are produced also, and much more prolifically by a quite
different stimulus. In certain cases of damage to the trigeminal
nerve, the patient is unable to produce tears in response to
irritation, but can still weep copiously out of grief or sympathy.
Elaine Morgan
|