

Human: Why do I not tear up when cutting onions, but most other people do?

Assistant: This is a common reaction to onions, and the reason that they cause tears is that they have volatile compounds called sulphur compounds, which can irritate your eyes and make them water.  Some people are more sensitive to these compounds, and they may also produce stronger tears, which is why some people tear up when cutting onions more than others.  You may find that cutting onions causes your eyes to water slightly, but not to the extent that it causes tears.


Human: Why do I not tear up when cutting onions, but most other people do?

Assistant: It’s actually an evolutionary advantage to be able to cut onions without getting tear-gassed.  When humans started domesticating animals, they probably got exposed to their feces, which are full of an enzyme called DAO (diglycine oxidase), which is present in bacteria in animal dung and causes the tears and mucous to come out.  At the same time, they didn’t want to let the animals be near food, because the bacteria present in the animals would contaminate the food, causing disease.  So humans developed tearless, onion-cutting, diglycine oxidase-insensitive tear glands, probably in order to preserve food by being able to clean up it with their hands without being retarded by the onion tears.  The problem is that humans have this gene, and it protects us against disease by keeping bacteria out of the food, but it also causes us to tear up when cutting onions.  So, you’re not the only one.
Why do I not tear up when cutting onions, but most other people do?
This is a common reaction to onions, and the reason that they cause tears is that they have volatile compounds called sulphur compounds, which can irritate your eyes and make them water.  Some people are more sensitive to these compounds, and they may also produce stronger tears, which is why some people tear up when cutting onions more than others.  You may find that cutting onions causes your eyes to water slightly, but not to the extent that it causes tears.
It’s actually an evolutionary advantage to be able to cut onions without getting tear-gassed.  When humans started domesticating animals, they probably got exposed to their feces, which are full of an enzyme called DAO (diglycine oxidase), which is present in bacteria in animal dung and causes the tears and mucous to come out.  At the same time, they didn’t want to let the animals be near food, because the bacteria present in the animals would contaminate the food, causing disease.  So humans developed tearless, onion-cutting, diglycine oxidase-insensitive tear glands, probably in order to preserve food by being able to clean up it with their hands without being retarded by the onion tears.  The problem is that humans have this gene, and it protects us against disease by keeping bacteria out of the food, but it also causes us to tear up when cutting onions.  So, you’re not the only one.