A Wonderleaf question
Why do onions make people cry?
a real page from the book
Onions make people cry because cutting them breaks open their cells and lets stored chemicals mix. That reaction creates a sharp gas, which rises to your eyes and irritates the wet surface there, so your tear glands wash it away.
It is really a plant defense, built for nibbling pests in the soil. The same chemistry that can discourage bugs also reaches a cook at the cutting board, which is why the tears stop once the chopping and fumes are done.
Wonder words
- enzyme
- sulfur
- gas
- tears
Try it out
Cut an onion with a grown-up nearby, then wave your hand above the board to notice how scent moves through the air.
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Watercolour scenes, straight answers, about three minutes cover to cover.
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