system
Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:
human
On the atomic level, what is happening when I spill acid on myself? Is it the same with bases?

Thanks in advance!  

edit: also, are there any other "corrosive" substances that are dangerous to humans other than acids/bases? The only counterexample I could think of was chlorine gas, but that's acidic too...
gpt
The process is called hydrolysis.  The name is the same for acids and bases, however the reaction and end-product can be different.  It's called hydrolysis because water is involved in breaking down the molecules.

Proteins hydrolyze easily.  This is one of the reasons animal tissue breaks down so easily under alkaline conditions.

edit:  Any highly reactive chemical can cause chemical burns in a similar way, however it is not called hydrolysis because water is typically not involved.