Ever wonder what a tear looks like up close?

In The Topography of Tears, photographic artist Rose-Lynn Fisher has captured, dried and studied one of her tears under a microscope. The results are beautiful and interesting on their own. 

BUT, she didn't stop there:

"Eventually, I started wondering—would a tear of grief look any different than a tear of joy? And how would they compare to, say, an onion tear?"

Tears of Laughter

Tears of Grief

Onion Tears

The results show the emotional terrain of tears, and the chemical and hormonal make-up that changes as the body undergoes various stresses. 

I know that no two snowflakes are the same, but I find in interesting that this applies to tears as well, and even more interesting, that the situation and conditions that cause the tears affect this make-up — which I'm sure is true in the case of snowflakes too!

Oh, Science. 

Originally seen on the Smithsonian