Hello!
My dear fellow steemians, today I'd like to talk about something that you all might have encountered in your everyday life, that is, the burning sensation that makes you cry when you chop onions. So, what actually happens while chopping onions that make you literally drown in tears? Let's find out!
Onions belong to genus Allium and are the most widely cultivated species of it. The bulb of an Onion as we all know is formed of different layers. Microscopically, the inside of an onion is formed of numerous cells arranged in a brick-wall like fashion.
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Inside these cells are a number of enzymes. These enzymes give onion a peculiar taste and are the prime reason why you cry when you chop them.
Making you cry by releasing these enzymes is a kind of defense mechanism.
When we cut an onion, the enzymes inside the cells are released. These enzymes are involved in breaking down the amino acids sulfoxides which are present in the onion into sulfenic acid. These acids are then converted into Syn-propanethial-S-oxide (a.k.a. Lachrymatory-factor). Since, it is volatile, it can easily get converted into gas.
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Lachrymatory-factor can easily mix with air. When this substance comes in contact with the corneal nerves, the stimulus is sent to the Autonomic fibers of the Lacrimal gland. These irritants can fill the eyes with tears without damaging them. It also causes rapid blinking of the eye too in order to flush the irritant out.
That's all for today.
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