What are the properties or chemicals that onions may have that make people cry when cutting them?
In: Biology
Onions absorb sulphur from the environment which their cells use in various amino acids. When you cut an onion these sulphur rich amino acids combine with enzymes and form a volatile compound of sulphuric acid.
In short, you’re getting tiny droplets of sulphuric acid into your eyes, which stings. Then your eyes water which makes the sulphuric acid turn into hydrogen sulphate which also stings.
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