• Question: why is there cyanide in apple seeds

    Asked by 574eadf27 to Deborah, Euan, Maheen, Rob, Stu on 17 Jun 2016.
    • Photo: Maheen Siddiqui

      Maheen Siddiqui answered on 17 Jun 2016:

      No idea!

    • Photo: Deborah Prunty

      Deborah Prunty answered on 17 Jun 2016:

      We think that Apple seeds contain cyanide as a defence mechanism. Animals that ate them would get sick and die, and the rest would very quickly learn to leave them alone.

      Don’t worry though, humans would have to eat hundreds of apple seeds at the same time for them to have any effect.

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