Do you know why some people cry when they cut onions? The answer is something truly weird.
When an onion is cut it lets off chemicals which were in tiny, little sacs before the the cutting of the onion. You can not see these sacs because they are teeny tiny. These chemicals that the onion let off are harmful to your eyes, so the tears come to wash the harmful chemicals away from your eyes. Tears are not just a sign that you are having emotions about something. Tears keep harmful things from your eyes.
Here is another weird thing. If you run water over an onion in the sink while you are cutting the onion, the chemicals will still come out, but they will flow down the drain with the water. The chemicals will not reach your eyes this way, and you will not cry. If you freeze an onion for about fifteen minutes before cutting it the harmful part of the chemical will be killed because of the cold air, and again you will not cry.
Just in case you were wondering, people also cry when they are having strong emotions about something such as an exciting moment or something sad or upsetting. If you are overwelmed about something crying will actually calm you down.
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