Tears are droplets secreted by the lacrimal gland.
Tear is a term from the Latin lacrima that refers to the drop secreted by the lacrimal gland . This liquid allows you to clean and lubricate the eye, promoting healthy functioning of the eyeball. The action of crying , on the other hand, involves shedding tears as a reaction to a state of emotion , without causing irritation of the ocular structures.
For example: “Seeing the sun after so long, my eyes filled with tears” , “A tear ran down his cheek when he heard the news” , “The specialist recommended that I use a few drops since my tears are not enough to combat dryness of the cornea.”
Characteristics of tears
The tear glands are located in the upper outer part of the eye orbit, in a space known as the lacrimal fossa . A nerve is responsible for stimulating this gland to produce tears, which are composed of water, sodium chloride, glucose and proteins.
The tear fulfills lubricating functions (so that the cornea does not dry out), metabolic functions (distributes oxygen ), photoabsorbent functions (absorbs a percentage of the sun's ultraviolet rays) and others. On the other hand, it helps fight bacteria due to the presence of gamma globulin and lysozyme.
Other uses of the concept
Drop-shaped objects can also be called teardrops: “Juana has a beautiful lamp with crystal tears in her living room,” “My husband gave me a pendant with silver tears.”
In colloquial language, something painful, heavy or annoying is known as a tear: “That movie is a tear, I recommend that you don't watch it.”
On the other hand, in the opera " The Elixir of Love " by Gaetano Donizetti , there is one of the most famous tenor arias in history , titled " Una furtiva lágrima " . In his verses, Nemorino expresses his joy after having noticed his beloved Adina 's jealousy upon seeing him surrounded by women interested in him.
Drop-shaped objects are referred to as tears.
Novel “Tears in the Rain”
"Tears in the rain" is the title of a novel by Rosa Montero . In it, the Madrid author presents us with the story of Bruna Husk , a private detective who is hired to solve a case of global importance.
The story begins in 2109 with the disappearance and sudden death of various replicants (individuals developed in the laboratory from stem cells for government purposes and who at that time are living in harmony with human society). The strange thing is not that these androids die (it should be noted that they have a much lower life expectancy than humans) but that the causes of their deaths seem to be a consequence of planned damage.
At the moment of dying, they express extreme anger, as if something had suddenly made them go crazy and completely change their attitude , which seems premeditated to make the entire society doubt the "mental stability" of these individuals. Husky , who is also a replicant, begins to investigate these deaths and tries by all means to discover who is responsible for all of them.
However, along this path she must face her greatest fears and meet several people who will help her find herself and try to make her see her worth as a sentient being. Among them are Pablo Nopal , Maio and Paul Lizard , three individuals who will force her to rethink her memories, to rediscover tenderness and who will be essential for Bruna to recover the desire to live and enjoy every moment.
With extraordinary mastery, Rosa Montero presents us with a reality where xenophobia and speciesism threaten the normal balance of life in society. "Tears in the Rain" is a work that forces us to rethink our daily attitudes towards other sentient beings and that can help us find true enjoyment in what surrounds us.