Yawn invasion.

Okay, so we need to take breaks in between food posts.

So we came out with this idea of putting fun-facts posts from time to time.

Guaranteed to be informative and fun. /teehee!/

As what you can see at the title. This post will all be about yawns, yawning, and gosh, we all yawn.

[we saw you yawning while reading this!]

Don't misunderstand us, we are not intending to bore you, but just reading about yawning will make you yawn, likewise seeing or hearing someone else yawn makes us all yawn.

Everybody yawns - from unborn babies to the oldest great-grandparent. Animals do it, too. But, why, exactly, do people and animals yawn? That is the question. Here is another bonus question to it, why do people yawn after seeing someone else yawn?

Honestly, we did some homework about it. And, no one knows the very reason to why people yawn. But, fear not, fret not. There are, however, many theories/ideas about why people yawn.

What is behind this mysterious epidemic of yawning?

Well, let's unravel this mystery step-by-step.

1. What is a yawn?

A yawn is the reflex opening of the mouth followed by the deep inhalation and slow exhalation of oxygen. This very act is but one of a number of involuntary reflexes controlled bt the spinal and nerve centers. As in, you cannot really, fully control it.

2. Why yawn?

There are three reasons to why you yawn. Firstly, yawning in induced by hypoxia (low oxygen levels in the blood stream). Secondly, yawning is a method for communicating to the other that you are tired. Thirdly, yawning is used to stretch out the lungs to prepare them for use.

3. Are there any effects to yawning?

Do you know that yawning actually aids us in bringing more oxygen into the blood and moving more carbon dioxide out of the blood? When you yawn, the sudden rush of oxygen into your system increases your heart rate and eliminates the carbon dioxide buildup in the lungs and blood streams. Thus, oxygen is also brought to the brain. Yawning ventilates the lungs and restores normal breathing. In fact, yawning do help in controlling our oxygen and carbon dioxide levels and balancing our heart beat rate. Sounds good, right? /teehee!/ Yawn more, then.

4. Last but not least, why is yawning contagious?

In 1508, Eramus wrote: "One man's yawning makes another yawn." And seemingly, this yawning behavior not only affects human but it also can be observed in animals as well. There is not really an explanation to this question. But the proximate cause for it may lie with mirror neurons. Mirror neourons have been proposed as a driving force for imitation which lies at the root of much human learning. Yawning may be an offshoot of the same imitative impulse.

All in all, there is really no certain and direct answer to the reason behind yawning and why it is contagious. However, this is one fun topic to think about, to ponder upon and to yawn on. Who knows? Maybe you can discover the answers to this great mystery by yawning on it!

Here are some vidoes on the cuteness of yawn. Feast yourself to it.

[videos above prove that animals yawn too.]

Further references: here, here, here, here, here and here.

We are on our /yawning/ way outta here. Ciao.