The Anatomy of crying

Description

Humans may be the only species to shed tears. Does that make crying a strictly human act? This program explores the deep well of animal instinct that, shaped by eons of evolution, still informs our expression of grief, fear, anger, and even joy. Focusing on the development of distress signals in early hominid infant behavior, the program investigates differences in crying between adults and children, men and women, and Western and non-Western cultures. The three varieties of tears-basal, irritant, and emotional-and their chemical makeup are identified, evoking a link between emotional release, the secretion of certain proteins, and the human body's metabolism.

Runtime

49 min

Series

Subjects

Genre

Date of Publication

[2007], c2003

Database

Films on Demand

Direct Link