Question

Bonnie is preparing dinner and begins to wonder why cutting onions always makes her cry. Using the scientific method, she decides to explore and hopefully answer this question. Whichof the following statements represents a reasonable testable prediction for Bonnie's experiment?

A. People cry when they cut onions because onions release a chemical that is harmful to their eyes.
B. The chemical that is released when one cuts onions has no effect in producing tears.If you cut an onion near a person, then his/her eyes will always begin to produce tears.This is a reasonable testable prediction that suggests, under these specific conditions, one should be able toobserve a specific outcome.
C. Slicing an onion releases enzymes, which react to create an airborne chemical that irritates the eyes and causes people to cry.
D. People often cry when they cut onions, despite gender, age, or race.

Answer 1

Slicing an onion releases enzymes, which react to create an airborne chemical that irritates the eyes and causes people to cry.

Explanation:

syn-propanethial-S-oxide is a chemical irritant that is being released by Onions. The lachrymal glands of human eyes gets irritated with this syn-propanethial-S-oxide and this will result in releasing tears.  An enzyme called allinase is also teh cause for this tears while cutting onion.

The enzyme called the synthase enzyme will convert the amino acids sulfoxides of the onion to an acid called sulfenic acid.  This is unstable in nature. This will form syn-ropanethial-S-oxide by itself.  This will again reach human eyes through air. The gland called lachrymal present in a human eye is irritated and hence tears will be produced.