It is well known that human tears often serve to moisten the eye, prot

Question

It is well known that human tears often serve to moisten the eye, protect it from infection, and wash away irritants; such tears are called irritant or reflex tears. Dr. Field hypothesizes that emotional tears have a different biological function. She suggests that by shedding tears when under emotional stress people excrete harmful chemicals that build up in such body fluids as blood serum during emotional stress.

Each of the following, if true, provides some support for Dr. Field's hypothesis EXCEPT:

A) The people most likely to cry when undergoing emotional stress are less likely to suffer from stress-related diseases than is the population at large

B) If a local anesthetic is applied to the surface of the eye, irritant and reflex tears are inhibited, but emotional tears are not

C) The chemical composition of tears that are induced by grit in the eye is identical to the composition of tears induced by emotional stress

D) The concentration of a substance that the body produces only under conditions of emotional stress is thirty times greater in tears than in blood serum

E) Patients who suffer from a condition that prevents secretion of tears display a slower than normal physiological recovery from emotional stress

KarishmaB · Accepted Answer

Irritant or reflex tears often serve to moisten the eye, protect it from infection, and wash away irritants;

Hypothesis: Emotional tears excrete harmful chemicals that build up in body fluids during emotional stress.
The hypothesis claims that emotional tears are different from irritant tears and have a different function. They excrete stress induced harmful chemicals from the body.

We need to find the option that does not support the hypothesis. This means the other 4 options will support the hypothesis in some way.

A) The people most likely to cry when undergoing emotional stress are less likely to suffer from stress-related diseases than is the population at large
Supports that emotional tears excrete stress related harmful chemicals.

B) If a local anesthetic is applied to the surface of the eye, irritant and reflex tears are inhibited, but emotional tears are not
This implies that the tears are formed at different locations. Irritant tears are a result of irritation to the surface of the eye. That is why they are inhibited on application of a local anaesthetic. Emotional tears on the other hand probably get produced inside the body. Hence, it supports that the two kind of tears serve different purposes.

C) The chemical composition of tears that are induced by grit in the eye is identical to the composition of tears induced by emotional stress
This does not strengthen our hypothesis. If the chemical composition of the two kinds of tears is same, it doesn't help establish that the two kinds of tears are different. Then we cannot say that emotional tears remove emotion induced chemical substances.

D) The concentration of a substance that the body produces only under conditions of emotional stress is thirty times greater in tears than in blood serum
This hints at emotional tears taking away a major chunk of the substances produced under stress. Hence it supports our hypothesis.

E) Patients who suffer from a condition that prevents secretion of tears display a slower than normal physiological recovery from emotional stress
If people are unable to cry, they take longer to recover from emotional stress. This also strengthens that tears help in recovering faster, perhaps by taking away harmful substances.

Answer (C)

ywilfred · Answer

Conclusion: emotional tears serve to excrete harmful chemicals built up during emotional stres
We want to the statement that does not support this theory.

Each of the following, if true, provides some support for Dr. Field's hypothesis EXCEPT: 

A) The people most likely to cry when undergoing emotional stress are less likely to suffer from stress-related diseases than is the population at large 
-- This supports the theory that if you cry during emotional stress (thus producing emotional tears), you are less likely to suffer from stress related disease because the tears remove the chemcicals built up by emotional stress

B) If a local anesthetic is applied to the surface of the eye, irritant and reflex tears are inhibited, but emotional tears are not 
-- This statement tells us emotional tears can also function as reflex tears. Nothing is said about emotional tears not being able to remove chemicals produced by the body under emotional stress

C) The chemical composition of tears that are induced by grit in the eye is identical to the composition of tears induced by emotional stress 
-- Does not support the thoery. Here, it says the composition of reflex tears are the same as emotional tears

D) The concentration of a substance that the body produces only under conditions of emotional stress is thirty times greater in tears than in blood serum 
-- Support the theory that emotional tears remove harmful chemicals

E) Patients who suffer from a condition that prevents secretion of tears display a slower than normal physiological recovery from emotional stress
-- Also supports the theory that emotional tears helps to recover one from emotional stress

Choice C for me.

hardworker_indian · Answer

I think C.
If the emotianal tear and irritant tear have the same composition, then there is no extra harmful-emotional-secretion eliminated.

vijaisingh2001 · Answer

fact- human tears- protect from infection, or irritant

DOCTOR's hypothesis of emotional tears- during emotion stress, people secrete harmful chemicals built in the body fluids to relieve stress

we need to show evidence that more harmful chemicals build up during emotional stress or people get relief from the stress by forming tears

(A) The people most likely to cry when undergoing emotional stress are less likely to suffer from stress-related diseases than is the population at large.-  tears help to reduce the stress- evidence 
(B) If a local anesthetic is applied to the surface of the eye, irritant and reflex tears are inhibited, but emotional tears are not.-  emotional stress is internal  
(C) The chemical composition of tears that are induced by grit in the eye is identical to the composition of tears induced by emotional stress.-  correct answer- composition of tears has nothing to do with the hypothesis 
(D) The concentration of a substance that the body produces only under conditions of emotional stress is thirty times greater in tears than in blood serum.-  more stress, more harmful chemical 
(E) Patients who suffer from a condition that prevents secretion of tears display a slower than normal physiological recovery from emotional stress.-  less secretion of tears less ejection of bad chemical from the body so slow recovery from the stress

SnigdhaM · Answer

hi..
i opted for ans choice B. Still couldnt figure out why B is wrong
thanks in advance

mSKR · Answer

It means tears initiated from eyes can be stopped with external chemicals but tears generated by internal stress still can not be stopped . you can not apply external chemical in your internal body ( source of generation of emotional tears)

achloes · Answer

D is a tricky choice that may seem irrelevant at first but do realize that it is going in the same direction as the conclusion.

"Only under conditions of emotional stress" clearly is referring to the harmful chemicals that build up in the blood serum. The choice basically hints that the substance moves from the blood serum to emotional tears (as implied in the passage), thus the increase in concentration.

Contrasting this choice against C, it's easy to see which one is the correct answer.

Raman109 · Answer

It is well known that human tears often serve to moisten the eye, protect it from infection, and wash away irritants; such tears are called irritant or reflex tears. - Fact 
Dr. Field hypothesizes that emotional tears have a different biological function. Conclusion 
She suggests that by shedding tears when under emotional stress people excrete harmful chemicals that build up in such body fluids as blood serum during emotional stress. - Explains the different biological function.

If emotional tears have a different function, they differ from irritant or reflex tears.
Four will support the conclusion, and one will not - it can be a weakener or distortion or out of scope, but a strengthener.

A) The people most likely to cry when undergoing emotional stress are less likely to suffer from stress-related diseases than is the population at large - which supports the hypothesis.

B) If a local anesthetic is applied to the surface of the eye, irritant and reflex tears are inhibited, but emotional tears are not - As they are for different purposes and get generated by a different process - supports.

C) The chemical composition of tears that are induced by grit in the eye is identical to the composition of tears induced by emotional stress - weakens.

D) The concentration of a substance that the body produces only under conditions of emotional stress is thirty times greater in tears than in blood serum - supports

E) Patients who suffer from a condition that prevents secretion of tears display a slower than normal physiological recovery from emotional stress - supports

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It is well known that human tears often serve to moisten the eye, prot

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