Why do cut onions make your eyes tear???

Question

I mean wat's up with that.I chop them up and I wanna cry like a new born........Tom Science 4

Answer 1

Chopping unions releases a gas that burns your eyes, A kind of chemicle reaction. Heres a trick that works, When cutting an onion puff out your upper lip as much as you can and maintain that till you finish..It works for me. Or you can put bread inside your upper lip to puff it out. I just puff it out myself..

Answer 2

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. Your other reaction is probably to rub your eyes, but this will actually make the irritation a lot worse, of course, if you have onion juices all over your hands.

Answer 3

once you decrease an onion your eyes start up burn and makes you tear up uncontrollably. what's it in onions that lead them to this variety of tribulation to prepare? once you decrease or slice an onion, you injury open a number of onion cells. a number of those cells have enzymes interior, and whilst they're sliced open, the enzymes get away. The enzymes then decompose the somewhat some different aspects that have escaped from sliced cells. a number of those aspects, amino acid sulfoxides, form sulfenic acids, which then right this moment rearrange themselves right into a risky gasoline. whilst theses gases attain your eyes and reacts with the water that keeps them moist. This variations the chemical's form returned, a gentle sulfuric acid, which irritates the eyes. The nerve endings on your eyes are very gentle and in addition they %. up in this inflammation. The ideas reacts by skill of telling your tear ducts to offer greater water, to dilute the demanding acid so the eyes are secure. Your shouldn't rub your eyes at this point and merely wash it with chilly water to stops tears come out. it extremely is going to talk atleast 10 – quarter-hour to grow to be generic. -

Answer 4

Only cut off the top to slice or dice or however you are going to use it. The cutting of the root end releases the "Cry like a baby juices".

Interestingly enough this never happens to me any more, but I blamed it on age and some loss of sense of smell. But I keep mine refrigerated and that could be the difference.

Do you keep yours refrigerated anyone?

Answer 5

If there's something foolproof, then I want to know! I cry like a baby, my nose runs like a tap and I get a throbbing headache, if I just get near cut onions.
Luckily, I have a husband who doesn't mind chopping them up at all.

Answer 6

it has something to do when you chop it the the liquid inside the onion. will turn to gas and will want to goo into something liquid (eyes) that makes you cry.i usually put a bowl of water right next to the onions and that helps a little.

Answer 7

Some of the juice mists and floats up into your eyes where it irritates them like a mild form of pepper spray. To suppress that, you can cut the onion under a running stream of water.

Answer 8

Its the Gas allright, get some airtight swimming goggles, it looks dumb, but a friend of mine that worked at OutBack cutting blossoms, swears by them to keep the tears down to a mimimun.

Answer 9

Onions produce the chemical irritant known as syn-propanethial-S-oxide. It stimulates the eyes' lachrymal glands so they release tears.

Answer 10

I'm not sure but if you will light a candle next to you while you are cutting them it will help with the tears.