Why do onions make your eyes so watery and stingy?!


Question: Mine always do that but my sister can bite into one like it's an apple and it doesn't bother her at all!?!


Answers: Mine always do that but my sister can bite into one like it's an apple and it doesn't bother her at all!?!

'When you chop an onion it stings your eyes and makes your eyes water uncontrollably. When you cut through the onion, you break thousands of onion cells. These cells contain enzymes, which when cut, escape into the surrounding air. The enzymes then break up other substances that have escaped, these are called amino acid sulfoxides. When the enzymes and amino acid sulfoxides meet, they rapidly reorganize themselves into a volatile gas. As soon as this gas reaches our eyes, it reacts with the watery coating of our eye, which keeps our eye moist. This causes a reaction, which changes the chemical form into sulfuric acid. This irritates the eyes and the nerve endings pick up on the irritation, causing the eyes to sting. A message is sent to the brain telling the tear ducts in the eyes to produce more water, diluting the sulfuric acid, to keep the eyes protected.

some people's eyes are more sensitive to this enzyme than others. your sister but be the later

It's the first time I've heard of such a thing.
Usually everybody should be affected by the special irritating substance that comes out of the onion when it's chopped. The substance is diffused into the air and it irritates your eyes. It's all I know.

It depends on the type of onion some onions such as white onions are far more potent but for example purple onioins they are more mild...and some people simply develop an immunity! It is the onions defense mechanism...since it is alive!

When you cut through an onion, you cut through the cell walls that keep sulfur-containing molecules inside the cells from enzymes in the spaces between. When these two substances mix together, they produce sulfuric acid which rises up from the onion and makes your eyes water. Some peoples eyes are more sensitive to that than others.

It's a natural reaction to the gas which is released when you break the skin of an onion. Your sister is lucky and doesn't have a reaction the way most do.

Cheers





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