New Delhi: Getting teary-eyed while cutting and chopping onions is something we all go through, every single day. Yes, it's annoying, it's irritating, and it's also a wonder why we never thought about the reason it makes us cry.


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We subject ourselves to the daily task with a sigh, but not once do we stop to think why this happens.


Well, it seems a chemical irritant present in the complex layered bulb, called synpropanethial-S-oxide, is responsible for your tears, while chopping onions.


This revelation comes from chemist Eric Block, who has written the authoritative book on onions — and other alliums.


Block told Npr.org that, "See, the onion is a perennial bulb that lives in the ground with lots of critters who are looking for a snack. So it has evolved a chemical defense system."


Block was further quoted saying that, “The way the onion bulb is designed, then, is ingenious. Within each onion cell, there's a little glob — a sealed vacuole — filled with enzymes. When you bite or cut into an onion, these enzyme-filled blobs break open, releasing their contents, which then mix with other chemicals inside the onion cells. And then, a whole cascade of chemical processes happen within an instant.”


As per Block, the chemical reaction leads to the formation of extremely tiny and minuscule synpropanethial-S-oxide molecules, which because of their light weight float up into the air, while the onions are being chopped and find their way into the eyes of the person, making them weep.


The video you're about to watch, will let you in on the entire process. Have a look!



(Video courtesy: Reactions)