How do tears form?

Tears happen when our eyes get sad or happy and need to say something.

When you're crying because you dropped your ice cream or laughing at a funny joke, your body sends out a signal: It's time for tears! Your eyes have little water reservoirs called tear glands, which are like tiny water bottles. When they get the message, they start sending out liquid, that’s your tears.

Your eyes also have little pumps and tubes, like a mini plumbing system. The tears flow from the glands down through these tubes and onto your face, there you go, that's why they come out of your eyes and run down your cheeks!

Sometimes, even when you're not sad or happy, your eyes might still make tears. That’s because your eyes are always working hard to keep everything clean and moist, like a little water fountain that never stops running.