Crying is shedding tears as a response to an emotional state in humans. The act of crying has been defined as "a complex secretomotor phenomenon characterized by the shedding of tears from the lacrimal apparatus, without any irritation of the ocular structures". The medical term for this is to lacrimate, which also refers to non-emotional shedding of "tears".
A neuronal connection between the lacrimal gland (tear duct) and the areas of the human brain involved with emotion was established. No other animals are thought to produce tears in response to emotional states, although this is disputed by some scientists.
According to a study of over 300 adults, on average men cry once every month; women cry at least five times per month, especially before and during the menstrual cycle when crying can increase up to 5 times the normal rate, often without obvious reasons (such as depression or sadness). In many cultures, it is more socially acceptable for women and children to cry, and less socially acceptable for men to cry.
Tears produced during emotional crying have a chemical composition which differs from other types of tears. They contain significantly greater quantities of hormones prolactin, adrenocorticotropic hormone, Leu-enkephalin and the elements potassium and manganese.
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