·Why does chopping an onion make you cry?

Answer 1

It is not the strong odor of the onion that makes us cry, but the substances that the onion releases when we cut this member of the lily family. Cooking an onion produces a very strong aroma that most people enjoy. But cutting up an onion stings your eyes and makes you cry uncontrollably.

Like other plants, onions are made of cells. These cells are divided into two sections separated by a membrane. One side of the membrane contains a chemical called an enzyme which helps chemical processes occur in your body. The other side of the membrane contains molecules that contain the element sulfur. When you cut an onion, the contents on each side of the membrane can mix together freely and the enzyme causes the sulfur compound to undergo a series of rapid chemical reactions. 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 products from these reactions are called "transient species", meaning that they only "live" for a very short time. Their "lives" are actually so short that scientists are just now learning what they actually are.

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.

Oddly enough, this volatile compound is also responsible for a lot of the great taste in onions, as well as the pleasant aroma when you cook the vegetable. You'll also get sulfenic acids by cutting up garlic, chives and leeks, among other vegetables, but they don't form the same irritating gas, just a strong smell.

There are all kinds of remedies - move your head as far away from the onion as you can, - wear goggles -. chill in the refrigerator before you slice - pre cooking whole onion before you slice - cut the onion under water or run the tap over it as you slice.

You can often tell if someone is a big onion eater because the sulfur compounds enter the bloodstream and then get breathed out—or sweated out. The good news is that a new onion which doesn't make you cry when you are peeling it is now available.

The new kind of onion, called Supasweet onions, has been developed by British farmers. It is said to be so mild that it can be eaten like an apple. Supasweet onions have been on sale in Tesco supermarkets around England since August, 2003. The onion has a pale, thin skin, is easy to peel and quick to prepare.

Supasweet onions are not genetically modified. Their secret is that they have been specially grown in low-sulphur soils!

Answer 2

It is not the strong odor of the onion that makes us cry, but the substances that the onion releases when we cut this member of the lily family. Cooking an onion produces a very strong aroma that most people enjoy. But cutting up an onion stings your eyes and makes you cry uncontrollably.

Like other plants, onions are made of cells. These cells are divided into two sections separated by a membrane. One side of the membrane contains a chemical called an enzyme which helps chemical processes occur in your body. The other side of the membrane contains molecules that contain the element sulfur. When you cut an onion, the contents on each side of the membrane can mix together freely and the enzyme causes the sulfur compound to undergo a series of rapid chemical reactions. 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 products from these reactions are called "transient species", meaning that they only "live" for a very short time. Their "lives" are actually so short that scientists are just now learning what they actually are.

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.

Oddly enough, this volatile compound is also responsible for a lot of the great taste in onions, as well as the pleasant aroma when you cook the vegetable. You'll also get sulfenic acids by cutting up garlic, chives and leeks, among other vegetables, but they don't form the same irritating gas, just a strong smell.

There are all kinds of remedies - move your head as far away from the onion as you can, - wear goggles -. chill in the refrigerator before you slice - pre cooking whole onion before you slice - cut the onion under water or run the tap over it as you slice.

You can often tell if someone is a big onion eater because the sulfur compounds enter the bloodstream and then get breathed out—or sweated out. The good news is that a new onion which doesn't make you cry when you are peeling it is now available.

The new kind of onion, called Supasweet onions, has been developed by British farmers. It is said to be so mild that it can be eaten like an apple. Supasweet onions have been on sale in Tesco supermarkets around England since August, 2003. The onion has a pale, thin skin, is easy to peel and quick to prepare.

Supasweet onions are not genetically modified. Their secret is that they have been specially grown in low-sulphur soils!

Answer 3

It is not the strong odour of the onion that makes us cry, but the substances that the onion releases when we cut it.
The onion contains some substances which contain sulfur. Sulfur is an irritant to both our noses and to our eyes. Cutting an onion releases these sulfur compounds. When these sulfur compounds come in contact with the water in our eyes, they produces sulfuric acid.
Sulfuric acid irritates the eyes. In response to this acid, our eyes automatically blink, and produce tears which wash the eye and flush out the acid.
An automatic reaction many people show is to rub their eyes with their hands, which often
makes the situation worse, because our hands are covered with the sulfur compounds from cutting the onion, which we then rub directly into our eyes.

Answer 4

Onions produce the chemical irritant known as syn-propanethial-S-oxide. It stimulates the eyes' lachrymal glands so they release tears. Scientists used to blame the enzyme allinase for the instability of substances in a cut onion. Recent studies from Japan, however, proved that lachrymatory-factor synthase, (a previously undiscovered enzyme) is the culprit (Imani et al, 2002).


The process goes as follows:

Lachrymatory-factor synthase is released into the air when we cut an onion.
The synthase enzyme converts the sulfoxides (amino acids) of the onion into sulfenic acid.
The unstable sulfenic acid rearranges itself into syn-ropanethial-S-oxide.
Syn-propanethial-S-oxide gets into the air and comes in contact with our eyes. The lachrymal glands become irritated and produces the tears!

Answer 5

If you pick an onion straight out of the ground it will not make you cry. Only older onions make us cry.

Bon Apatite
Shannon
http://www.iammakingprofits.com/pips.html

Answer 6

When you slice an onion, you damage the cell walls, throwing together amino acid (Which contain sulfur) and enzymes that trigger chemical reaction. When they come in contact, volatile sulfur-containing compounds form and become airborne. These compounds irritate your eyes and there for "make you cry".

Answer 7

There is sulfuric acid in onions and when you cut through the cells you release the acid which irritates your eyes

Answer 8

Acid - try cutting it with a wooden spoon in your mouth. A chef friend told me to do it. Also, don't breath through your nose.

Answer 9

The answer to your exact question and probably more information than you need can be found at Howstuffworks.com

Here's the article on Onions

http://home.howstuffworks.com/question539.htm

Answer 10

Maybe you chopped the end of your finger with the knife?