Abstract

PALACIOS-ESPINOSA, Ximena; SANCHEZ-MARTINEZ, María Catalina; PALACIOS-SANCHEZ, Leonardo  and  ZULUAGA-GONZALEZ, Juan Camilo. A brief history of tears and crying. Iatreia [online]. 2021, vol.34, n.3, pp.266-274.  Epub Aug 03, 2021. ISSN 0121-0793.  https://doi.org/10.17533/udea.iatreia.95.

Tears and crying are biological phenomena framed in different social and cultural contexts throughout the years. This article is a review of the construction of different conceptions around tears and crying.

We explore proposals on the subject from the oldest civilizations, going through the discussion around the origin of tears (heart vs. brain), and the findings with the introduction of anatomical dissection and physiological experimentation.

Finally, the evolutionary and psychological positions of crying are exposed, to study its functionality in survival and its role in social relations. The aim of this article is to present, succinctly, what have been the tears and crying through the history.

Keywords : Anatomy; Biological Evolution; Crying; History of Medicine; Psychology.

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