why is acid corrosive?

[CremasterFlash]

despite actually finishing my premed requirements and getting into med school, i am embarrassed to say that the above question has been on my mind for a couple years now.

why are acids corrosive? obviously from an entropic standpoint, it makes sense. but mechanically, what is it about a bunch of protons that makes both organic and metallic things erode?

for that matter, strong bases (Drano, for instance) are also corrosive and again, can act on both organic and inorganic materials...

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[Phlame217]

Think about electrochemistry, most metals want to give off ions, such as iron. It is a spontaneous reaction for Fe to decompose into Fe3+ and for H2 gas to be produced. As for organic, your skin has a buch of carbon chains, lipids, etc, all biochemical molecules which can undergo reactions with hydrogen.

As for bases, they abstract hydrogens from your biomolecules as well as induce corrosion in inorganic materials.