"When you slice through an onion, you break open a number of onion cells. Some of these cells have enzymes inside of them, and when they are sliced open, the enzymes escape. The enzymes then decompose some of the other substances that have escaped from sliced cells. Some of these substances, amino acid sulfoxides, form sulfenic acids, which then quickly rearrange themselves into a volatile gas.
The gas reaches your eyes and reacts with the water that keeps them moist. This changes the chemical's form again, producing, among other things, a mild sulfuric acid, which irritates the eyes. The nerve endings in your eyes are very sensitive and so they pick up on this irritation (this is why our eyes sting when we slice onions). The brain reacts by telling your tear ducts to produce more water, to dilute the irritating acid so the eyes are protected."
Why onions make you cry! Click me!
Ahh.. now that explains it and makes sense!
Did you know? If you didn't ... now you do!
2 comments:
Ohmigod! You have an ad in your comments!! haha.
But, so if you closed your eyes while cutting or peeling onions, does that mean that you wouldn't cry? I always had the impression that breathing in the vapours from the onion make you cry not the whole acid thing you've got up there...maybe I'm wrong.
I know! I was so irritated!
Well... apparently it's all to do with the eyes.. if you close them, what guarantee do the have that it still won't penetrate or seep through.. maybe it will help though.
Check out the link! It's pretty cool.
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