What's the difference between sweat and tears?
It depends on how much cayenne Mrs. Fella uses in the burritos. But seriously, according to Brian R. MacPherson, anatomy professor at the University of Kentucky, "The actual difference deals with the function of these fluids, sweat being an elimination of body materials — minerals and ions — in an effort to coat the skin with a fluid that makes you cool when the wind blows over, whereas tears are primarily there to keep your cornea from drying out. While both contain a certain amount of salt, there's mucus in tears. And that mucus is there to keep the cornea lubricated."
Also, MacPherson adds, "The actual glands that secrete them are totally different. Your body is covered with microscopic sweat glands, whereas with tears, the lacrimal glands are the size of an almond up in the superior lateral corner of your eye."
RELATED LINKS:
- Dr. Oz: Why Women Like the Smell of Sweat
- How to Keep Your Armpits Dry
- Other Random Mysteries of Spring, Solved in Seconds
