Why do onions make you cry? The science behind botanical warfare.
Why do Onions make you cry? It turns out that onions are particularly good at absorbing sulfur, which they use in a number of amino acids. When you cut an onion, you break open cell after cell, releasing their contents. Enzymes that were operated meet the sulfur-rich amino acids and form unstable sulfenic acids, which then rearrange into a chemical known as syn-propanethial-S-oxide. This chemical is quite volatile, and causes a burning sensation when it floats up from the cutting board and comes in contact with your eyeballs. Your brain then goes into panic mode and tries to flush out the irritants the only way it knows how... By crying.
00:00 Intro to why onions make you cry
01:04 The history of the research into onions and Eric Block
02:20 Brief explanation on why onions make you cry with enzymes.
05:18 How to avoid crying when you cut onions.
Destructive Creativity and Jonathan Allers are dedicated to providing safe and fun science facts and experiments for all ages. Please practice science safely and responsibly. Always use proper supervision. Now go out and learn something!