Current Affairs

Issue

The old tale of crocodiles crying while eating has been synonymous with fake emotions. Now a study has tried to find reasons behind the phenomenon.

 

Details

• Crocodile tears are used to describe insincere display of emotions just for the sake of brownie points without any true intention.

• A naturalist Johann Jakob declared that the widely prevalent tales of crocodiles crying while eating was indeed untrue.

• An experiment was conducted by a scientist named George Johnson, who rubbed the eyes of crocodile with onion and salt to check if they wept.

 

Reasons for crying (lacrimate)

• The tears are generated when the movement of jaws are aggressive and air moves into the sinuses and stimulate tear glands.

• Bogard syndrome or “crocodile tear syndrome” is a condition in which patients recovering from Bell’s palsy shed tears while drinking and eating.

• The Bell’s palsy is a medical condition, in which facial muscles are affected by temporary weakness or paralysis,

• The condition can also be caused by viral infection in which the nerves controlling facial muscles swell and cannot function effectively.