scienceillustrated.com.au | 59Tears more than salt water. Apart from salt and
sugar, the drops include natural antibiotics, pain-
relieving substances, and proteins which can
indicate severe diseases. Tears can:Tears are
complex
REVEAL DISEASES
Based on your tears' content
of mucins, doctors can predict
your risk of developing different
types of cancer.KILL BACTERIA
Tears include the lysozyme
enzyme, whichs kills bacteria by
breaking down their cell walls.
In this way, lysozyme keeps the
eye clear of infection.CLEAN UP
Free iron is an important
source of nutrition for bacteria,
which could ruin your eyes. So,
the lactoferrin protein "vacuum
cleans" iron from the eye.RELIEVE PAIN
The tears you cry when you
are sad include a special type of
pain-relieving peptides.
Enkephalins block signals from
nerves which feel pain.GETTY IMAGES, SPL, LIJEALSO & FLORIAN WIE-BERNEIT/BIOMOLECULAR NMR
By Adam Fribo