Charlie Gay
9/24/17
Mr. Ippolito
AP Biology
Klein, Joanna. “Why Onions Make You Cry.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 5 Sept. 2017. Web.
Current Events #2
Joanna Klein of the New York Times wrote the article “Why Onions Make You Cry.” In this article she explains the biological and chemical reasons for why onions make us cry. Klein says that onions make us cry because of a reaction in the onion that releases a chemical called lachrymatory factor or LF. When LF reacts with our eyes it causes us to cry. LF is only released from the onion when the cells inside the onion are broken and two substances that are usually separated combine. Jose Silvaroli, an undergraduate at Case Western Reserve University in Ohio, said “It turns into a gas. It hits your eyes, and then it hits your sensory nerves in your eyes and causes them to tear up.” Klein explains that LF is a defense mechanism to protect onions against animals and organism, like ourselves. As the onion is cut or broken this defense mechanism is used. The substances in the onion that cause this reaction are sulfenic acid and alliinase. Both of these substances are separated in an unharmed onion. According to the article the sulfenic acid floats around in a cell and the protein, alinase, is found inside of a vacuole inside the onion. However, when the onion is cut these two substances mix together causing LF to bring tears to our eyes. Klein goes on to speculate about possible ways to prevent crying while cutting an onion, for example putting the onion in the fridge before cutting it. She even mentioned the invention of an onion that does not cause people to tear up. However, Klein’s final conclusion was that all of these tricks seem to alter the taste of the onion. Klein’s article ends with her writing, “For the love of onions, sometimes you just have to cry.”
Although this article does not provide society with a cure to a disease or a life altering lesson, it is a very relatable article for us all. Everyone knows the feeling of not being able to stop crying while cutting an onion. Personally, I have always tried to not cry while cutting an onion and have tried to “beat the system.” Reading this article has made it clear to me and most likely to everyone else that it is not possible. The LF released when cutting an onion makes it almost impossible not to cry. There will always be someone who says they can cut an onion without tearing up, but that is most likely a lie. This article can serve as a lesson to us all that we all should and will cry when cutting an onion. This article could also lead to someone in society finding a way to make people not cry when cutting an onion, while also not altering the taste. Most of all this article serves as a learning experience for all of society. Almost everyone has experienced crying while cutting an onion, but most people, like myself, never knew why this was the case. This article makes society a little more knowledgable on a topic everyone can relate to.
I really enjoyed reading this article. I thought this article did a great job of explaining some of the biological terms such as, a vacuole and lachrymatory factor. Even a person who is not familiar with biology or science would be able to understand this article. I also enjoyed how Klein included quotes and information found from doctors and scientist. This allows the reader to know that it is a credible source and allow the reader to better understand the science behind the findings. Although this article was very well done I wish that Klein included information about how these findings were found. I would have been interested to learn about what types of experiments were conducted in order to come to this conclusion. I also wish that this article expanded on its ideas slightly more. I felt that their were some ideas that could have been talked about a little longer. Overall, this was a very well written article that could have expanded on some of its ideas and could have explained some of the process involved in reaching this conclusion.
Olivia Doyle
ReplyDeleteMr. Ippolito
AP Biology
30 September 2017
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/05/science/onions-crying-chemicals.html?rref=collection%2Fsectioncollection%2Fscience&action=click&contentCollection=science®ion=stream&module=stream_unit&version=latest&contentPlacement=89&pgtype=sectionfront
Klein, Joanna. “Why Onions Make You Cry.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 5 Sept. 2017. Web.
This week, I decided to read Charlie’s review of the article “Why Onions Make You Cry” because it is something that I’ve always wondered about. Charlie’s summary of the article was very well-written, as he addressed what causes this reaction in humans and how the process actually happens. He describes in the detail the chemical compounds in an onion that instigate crying in humans, saying, “. According to the article the sulfenic acid floats around in a cell and the protein, alinase, is found inside of a vacuole inside the onion. However, when the onion is cut these two substances mix together causing LF to bring tears to our eyes.” Additionally, he includes essential information about how to prevent crying when cutting an onion, which is interesting for the reader. Charlie’s analysis of the author was also very well-written, as he included both what he enjoyed about the article and what the author needed to improve on. He brought up an interesting question-- what experiments were done to come to this conclusion? After reading the article, I found that I had the same question as Charlie and would have liked more information on the science behind the findings.
Although Charlie’s article was very well-written and detailed, there are some areas for improvement. For one, instead of paraphrasing most of his summary, he should have included more direct quotes from the article from scientists who studied this phenomenon, as it would have given his review more credibility. In addition, in his paragraph addressing the article’s connection to society as a whole, he should have brought up more background information on how the defense mechanism of onions, the LF compound, affects other animals and plants.
This article was very interesting, as I never actually knew why onions made us cry. I did not know that the chemical compound LF in onions is actually used as a defense mechanism against other organisms. Additionally, the mention of creating an onion that does not cause humans to tear up was surprising, and I am now interested in how genetic engineering can help in performing a such a task.
Viktoria Schmuck
ReplyDeleteSeptember 30, 2017
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/05/science/onions-crying-chemicals.html?rref=collection%2Fsectioncollection%2Fscience&action=click&contentCollection=science®ion=stream&module=stream_unit&version=latest&contentPlacement=89&pgtype=sectionfront
Klein, Joanna. “Why Onions Make You Cry.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 5 Sept. 2017. Web.
Charlie-
For this weeks current event, Charlie’s title sparked my interest, this scientific phenomenon always having been something I have wondered about. In his summary of the article, he was able to simply but effectively summarize the article he read in the times. More specifically, he was describe why in fact onions make us cry, specifically explain the chemical or “lachrymatory factor” that onions releases, and how it, “it hits your eyes, and then it hits your sensory nerves in your eyes and causes them to tear up.” Charlie was also able to include interesting facts such as why onions do this, speaking of its defense mechanism against animals and predators. Finally, Charlie connected this issue to his own life in a very humble nature, admitting that it may not be a topic having to due with life-altering science, rather being a relatable topic that has been on everyone’s mind at one point or another.
Some things that Charlie could have worked on in the beginning was sentence structure. His writing, although clear and easy to follow, was almost too simple at points, since he used short phrases and sentences in his introduction. There was also some word repetition at times, for example in the final review paragraph, in which Charlie described his opinion about the article.
Finally, this topic was very interesting and solved the mystery that has been lurking in my head for years. As said before, the title really jumped out at me, intriguing me almost instantly, and it really became only became more interesting as I read. Although this is not a life-changing topic, it will definitely make a difference in my understanding of biology, as well as limiting my confusion while crying as I am cooking or in the kitchen.
Ava Austi
ReplyDeleteAP Biology
Current Event #3
10/1/17
Klein, Joanna. “Why Onions Make You Cry.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 5 Sept. 2017. Web.
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/05/science/onions-crying-chemicals.html?rref=collection%2Fsectioncollection%2Fscience&action=click&contentCollection=science®ion=stream&module=stream_unit&version=latest&contentPlacement=89&pgtype=sectionfront
Charlie wrote a great review based off the article “Why Onions Make You Cry?” by Joanna Klein from The New York Times. This article explains the biological and chemical reasons for why onions make us cry. Throughout the review of the article, there were many aspects that Charlie did well in order to write a great review. Firstly, Charlie did an excellent job of providing a detailed summary for the reader. He thoroughly addressed what causes the reaction in humans and how the process actually happens. This allowed me as the audience to fully understand what Charlie’s article was about without any confusion. Charlie also did a great job by including important information about how to prevent us from crying, which kept me interested as the reader. Lastly, I really liked how Charlie chose an article that relates to the majority of the society. Everyone knows the feeling of not being able to stop crying while cutting an onion. I know I definitely have and that kept me intrigued when I was reading his review. Charlie successfully wrote a clear and interesting review of the article he read.
Although Charlie presented a great review of the article, there were some aspects where he could have improved. In the review, I thought Charlie could have benefited from including more quotes from the article from scientists who actually studied this topic. This would give the audience an idea of what the scientists are saying about the phenomenon, making his review stronger. Also, I think Charlie should have elaborated more on how this topic connects to society. For example, he could have talked about how this topic affects other animals and plants. These issues are both easy to fix in order to make Charlie’s review even better. Even though there were some parts of the review that Charlie could have improved, I think he wrote a great review of the article.
I thought Charlie did a great job in writing his review and I really enjoyed reading it. I chose to read his review because I always knew that onions make humans cry and I have experienced it myself, but I never knew why. I find it fascinating that there is interest in creating an onion that does not cause humans to tear up. After reading Charlie’s review, I want to learn more about this phenomenon. Overall, I think Charlie successfully wrote a clear and detailed review of his article.
Kirsten Ircha 10/3/17
ReplyDeleteAP Biology E/F Even Current Event #3
Citation:
Klein, Joanna. “Why Onions Make You Cry.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 5
Sept. 2017, www.nytimes.com/2017/09/05/science/onions-crying-chemicals.html?rref=collection%2Fsectioncollection%2Fscience&action=click&contentCollection=science®ion=stream&module=stream_unit&version=latest&contentPlacement=89&pgtype=sectionfront.
My fellow colleague, Charlie Gay, wrote an insightful article intitle, ““Why Onions Make You Cry,” by Joanna Klein. Gay began with a well worded summary that clearly explains the topic saying, “Klein says that onions make us cry because of a reaction in the onion that releases a chemical called lachrymatory factor or LF. When LF reacts with our eyes it causes us to cry. LF is only released from the onion when the cells inside the onion are broken and two substances that are usually separated combine.” I feel this summary allows the reader to clearly and concisely understand the background surrounding the topic and sets a good base for the information that follows. Gay also provides statements from the author. For example, Gay writes, “Klein explains that LF is a defense mechanism to protect onions against animals and organism, like ourselves. As the onion is cut or broken this defense mechanism is used.” I feel that this example shows that Gay deeply understands the topic surrounding the article and that these details further his summary. Lastly, Gay makes a very good point as to how the article connects to society. He explains that although this topic is not of drastic importance, it explains a question that many have pondered. Through this explanation, Gay writes that in the past he felt that it was possible to avoid crying while cutting and onion, but came to understand that it is biologically impossible. I feel this connection allows the review to be seen as very relevant to everyday people.
Although the review was well written, I feel a couple of areas could be improved. To begin, I feel that some of the word choice was informal and general. For example Gay whites, “Everyone knows the feeling of not being able to stop crying while cutting an onion.” This language is very simple and I feel a more formal tone should be used throughout the review. To improve this in the future, Gay can make sure to incorporate academic language into the review and try to avoid conversational language. Also, at some points in the piece, I did not like the style of the writing. For example Gay writes his conclusion sentence stating, “Overall, this was a very well written article that could have expanded on some of its ideas and could have explained some of the process involved in reaching this conclusion.” The use of the world, “overall” to conclude a paragraph is a very basic technique used at young ages. However, as this review is more advanced and formal, I feel this conclusion does not fit the tone of the piece. Gay can improve upon this in the future by trying to use less of an elementary writing style.
What shocked me most about the review was discovering the science behind why people cry when they are cutting onions. I was previously unaware that damaging the onion releases a gas that causes tears. I had also thought that stronger people do not cry while cutting onions. Now, I am aware that crying while cutting onions is something that cannot be avoided. Also, if someone claims they do not cry while cutting onions, this is most likely a lie. This will change my life as from now on I will accept the fact that I will cry while cutting onions and will not try to fight this natural reaction.
Sarah Goodell
ReplyDeleteMr. Ippolito
AP Bio: Current Event Comment
30 September, 2017
Current Event #3
Klein, Joanna. “Why Onions Make You Cry.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 5 Sept. 2017. Web.
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/05/science/onions-crying-chemicals.html?rref=collection%2Fsectioncollection%2Fscience&action=click&contentCollection=science®ion=stream&module=stream_unit&version=latest&contentPlacement=89&pgtype=sectionfront
This week, I read Charlie Gay’s review of the article “Why Onions Make You Cry” from New York Times author Joanna Klein. In his critique, Charlie did a great job explaining the chemical LF and how it works to release a gas that affects humans’ nerves. He made the information that was presented in the original article more understandable for his audience. In order to explain this process in depth, he includes multiple quotes from credible sources, such as scientist Jose Silvaroli, who is an undergraduate at Case Western Reserve University in Ohio. From Silvaroli, Charlie includes the quote, “It turns into a gas. It hits your eyes, and then it hits your sensory nerves in your eyes and causes them to tear up” to help make this topic simpler for his readers. Finally, Charlie also provides his audience with a detailed critique of Klein’s article, allowing us to be fully prepared before we read her original piece.
Although Charlie’s article was well-written, he could improve upon a couple things. Firstly, he does not explain the quote that he includes at the end of his summary paragraph. He writes, “Klein’s article ends with her writing, “For the love of onions, sometimes you just have to cry.” However, he does not discuss the significance of this statement. If he had, we would be able to better understand Klein’s objectives and motivations in writing this piece. Secondly, Charlie could also include a better explanation about the connection of this topic to our society and the lessons we can learn from understanding its effects. If he had described this article’s effects on society, his readers would therefore have been more informed about the author’s meaning.
To conclude, Charlie’s review is well-organized and easily understandable, which allows his audience to discover Klein’s purpose in writing this article. I chose Charlie’s review because people don’t normally discuss these kinds of topics and I was curious about how chemicals relate to this phenomenon. After reading his response, I acquired new information about chemicals and their effects on humans’ nerves. These findings can be beneficial to our society because they discuss the chemical LF and how it can act as a defense mechanism.
Luke Redman
ReplyDeleteMr. Ippolito
AP Biology
September 30th 2017
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/05/science/onions-crying-chemicals.html?rref=collection%2Fsectioncollection%2Fscience&action=click&contentCollection=science®ion=stream&module=stream_unit&version=latest&contentPlacement=89&pgtype=sectionfront
Klein, Joanna. “Why Onions Make You Cry.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 5 Sept. 2017. Web.
This week I read Charlie’s review on the New York Times article, “Why Onions Make You Cry.” It was an excellent review and had many positives to it, including how he summarized the article very well. He provided all the necessary information on what the article was addressing in his review, giving the reader more context on the information. He also gives the information a very reputable source, not just from the NYT but also the college professor, giving the reader more reason to believe his statements.What he does very well in his article is making the results very personal to his own life and our own lives. Although this discovery doesn’t change the world, it is good to know how it happens.
However, there were some negatives to the article. He should have included more quotes in his article, even though he stated where the paraphrased information came from. Another thing he could have improved would be to be more complex in his writing, because at some points it seemed to be too lackadaisical.
Overall, Charlie’s article was well-written and well-presented, and I learned that the gas released from the onion makes us cry, which I had not known before. I am very excited to read another review by Charlie in the future.
Cory Ramundo
ReplyDeleteMr. Ippilito
AP Bio
3 October 2017
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/05/science/onions-crying-chemicals.html?rref=collection%2Fsectioncollection%2Fscience&action=click&contentCollection=science®ion=stream&module=stream_unit&version=latest&contentPlacement=89&pgtype=sectionfront
Klein, Joanna. “Why Onions Make You Cry.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 5 Sept. 2017. Web.
I read Charlie Gay’s informative review on the phenomenon of why onions cause a person to cry. Charlie Gy is reviewing the article “Why Onions Make You Cry” written by Joanna Klein. In this review he does many good things such as giving actual quotation from the article to prove himself as a reliable source. By giving the quote of “an undergraduate at Case Western Reserve University in Ohio,” the reader is far more inclined to believe Charlie for this fact as well as future information to come in the review. Furthermore he does a good job of presenting the information in a logical way. First he introduces the article and the topic for it, followed by an in-depth analysis of the science behind this phenomenon. He even goes on to state its impact on society and address, while it may not be a cure to a disease, it still holds some significance. Due to this clear organization, it was easy to follow his thought process and led to an overall better understanding. Lastly, the fact that Charlie connected it to his own personal life was intriguing and relatable, which gives the reader a stronger connection to Charlie. This therefore further appeals to the reader and makes the reader enjoy Charlie’s review more.
Although Charlie wrote a good review, there is a couple things that could be improved on. Including quotes in a review is a great tool to utilize and Charlie did not completely take advantage of this. Although he did give one or two quotes, he could've given more, which would have led to an even stronger trust in Charlie’s credibility. Furthermore although his structure of writing allowed for the reader to easily understand, some of his writing was simply too simple. The simplicity of his writing almost undermines Charlie’s intelligence when reading this article, which decreases Charlie’s credibility.
Although Charlie’s article was simple it was still eye-opening to me. I always thought I could control myself from crying when cutting onions, but apparently it is impossible. This was extremely insightful, because when even I am dealing with onions I always begin to cry, and before I thought it was targeted to certain people. However, now I know not to waste my time with trying to prevent myself from crying when cutting onions.
David Weild
ReplyDelete10/03/17
Mr. Ippolito
AP Biology
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/05/science/onions-crying-chemicals.html?rref=collection%2Fsectioncollection%2Fscience&action=click&contentCollection=science®ion=stream&module=stream_unit&version=latest&contentPlacement=89&pgtype=sectionfront
Klein, Joanna. “Why Onions Make You Cry.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 5 Sept. 2017. Web.
This week I chose to comment on my friend, Charles Peter Gay’s review of “Why Onions Make You Cry.” I always have known that onions make you cry but I wanted to find out why. Thanks to Charles Peter Gay’s review, I now understand just why these onions do this to your eyes. Charles did an outstanding job of summarizing the article concisely. He presented to his audience what the bulk of the article was about and explained this phenomenon. He specified that was happening was the “lachrymatory factor” which is found in onion and when cut open, this is released. After this, it will “hit your eyes, and then it hits your sensory nerves in your eyes and causes them to tear up.” As well as doing a good job summarizing the article Charles related to this article by admitting to being interested in the topic even though this may not be very important to the science world but he assumed it was a relatable topic. One fact Charlie included that really amazed me was that this was a defense mechanism for the plant so if it was bitten into, it would release this chemical to repel animals.
Charles could have done numerous things better. For example, He was not formal in his review that he wrote. Charles Peter Gay writes, “Everyone knows the feeling of not being able to stop crying while cutting an onion.” Even though he is trying to relate to his audience, I feel like he should not assume people know this in a scientific review and be more formal. To improve on this in the future, Charles can take this out of the review and talk about how cutting an onion will cause you to cry. At some points Charles used very broad language. Charles writes his conclusion, “Overall, this was a very well written article that could have expanded on some of its ideas and could have explained some of the process involved in reaching this conclusion.” Using overall to conclude a paragraph is a broad and simplistic word. Once again because of this being a scientific review he should transition better not stating that he will be ending his review but instead make the reader feel it is coming to an end without telling them “Overall.” This conclusion does not flow with the needed formality of the review once again. To improve, I recommend Charles to enroll in a writing course where he will be able to learn the skills to formally write a paper well. https://www.writingclasses.com/classes/online
I found this topic interesting because of the mystery it solved. Since I was a baby I wanted to know why these onions always made me cry. I was very interested when I saw Charles wrote about this for his review. I instantly clicked on his review after I saw the title and read his review. Even though it will not change the way I interact with onions or anything, I will now be educated in the science of this mystery as to why onions make you cry when they are cut.