A yawn is something we get at a moment we least expect to. Be it a boring lecture or a monotonous meeting. But, why do we yawn? Is it a sign of something bad to happen? And why on earth are they contagious?
It is a known fact that all living organisms need oxygen to thrive on Earth. Oxygen facilitates metabolic activities in our body and helps in the release of energy to help us do work. However, when we do some work with less enthusiasm or energy , our breathing rate slows down. The brain signals the respiratory system that the levels of oxygen are low. The signal is then sent to the mouth to open up wide and take a deep breath so as to replenish the oxygen supply in one go. This act of ours is what we call yawning. An interesting thing to note is that this theory is one of almost 20 more theories on why we yawn. However, not one theory has been officially accepted.
Coming to the second question I left you at the beginning. Is it a bad sign to yawn? Well, though it is good for your body as it increases the supply of oxygen, it wouldn’t be good to yawn in someone’s face. That indicates that you have no (or negligible) interest in what they are saying.
Another point of discussion is why yawns are contagious? One person yawns, and a chain of yawners is created. This is due to a phenomenon called echopraxia, the automatic imitation of another’s actions. This phenomenon is found in many animals- chimpanzees, dogs etc.
So, how was it? Did it make you yawn (Hopefully, it didn’t)! Feel free to drop a comment in the Comments section.
Author: Venkata Bhamidipati
Source (Image): cbsnews.com/news/why-are-yawns-contagious-new-clues/
pcbpedia 
Nice one
LikeLike
Thanks Subhrajyoti. Please continue to support my blog. You can also follow it by clicking on Follow in the bottom-right corner of the page and entering your email address to receive updates on new posts.
LikeLike
Interesting topic. As you told that yawns are contagious, do we also yawn when we read the word ‘yawn’?
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you. Please continue to support my blog.
Yes. In fact, reading or even saying the word ‘yawn’ generally makes us yawn. However, as I already mentioned, there is no accepted theory on why we yawn. So, there is evidently no theory to prove why we yawn on seeing or reading the word ‘yawn’.
LikeLike