news@santra.UUCP (news) (04/12/88)
>>In article <6753@ames.arpa> howard@pioneer.UUCP (Lauri Howard) writes: >>I would be interested to >>hear any suggestions why sudden exposure makes you sneeze in the first place. >I was told it's genetic. I find it a little bit hard to believe that it's genetic. That would imply that seeing the sun is the only stimulus, which in turn starts the "sneezing- mechanism". I relate inhereted behaviour to cases (for example) like beeing afraid or cautious when confronting a snake, even if you have never seen one in your life and you're too young to have learned that snakes are supposed to be dangerous. Of course, I could be wrong ! Then the reaction beeing inhereted would be a neat explanation. If it is genetic another interesting question arises : what possibly could be the function of this reaction ? PS. "Lauri" sounds like a Finnish name to me - perhaps you, your parents or your grandparents origin from Finland ? Do you understand any Finnish ? (answer via e-mail, please)
briscoe-duke@CS.YALE.EDU (Duke Briscoe) (04/13/88)
The only times I've noticed the sneezing reaction is when I am looking up into a bright sky, usually towards the sun. It is pretty clear to me that there is a genetic basis to this reaction, and that its purpose is to keep you from looking at light so bright that it could damage your retina. The bit about the sneezing occurring upon sudden exposure to bright light would be related to the fact that your pupil has not yet adjusted to the intensity change.
ccjoan@ucdavis.ucdavis.edu (Joan Gargano) (04/15/88)
In article <27047@yale-celray.yale.UUCP> briscoe-duke@CS.YALE.EDU (Duke Briscoe) writes: >The only times I've noticed the sneezing reaction is when I am looking up into >a bright sky, usually towards the sun. It is pretty clear to me that there is >a genetic basis to this reaction, and that its purpose is to keep you from >looking at light so bright that it could damage your retina. The bit about the >sneezing occurring upon sudden exposure to bright light would be related to the >fact that your pupil has not yet adjusted to the intensity change. This actually has to do with the stimulation of a nerve in the eye by the bright light. This nerve also passes through the nasal area. The stimulation then causes you to sneeze. -- Joan Gargano * Univ. of Calif., Davis, Computing Services * (916) 752-2591 Internet jcgargano@ucdavis.ucdavis.edu BITNET jcgargano@ucdavis UUCP {ucbvax, lll-crg, sdcsvax}!ucdavis!jcgargano
callele@bnr-di.UUCP (David Callele) (04/15/88)
I have been told that the reason I (almost invariably) sneeze when I go out into the sun is because I have descended from a frog. Actually, the eye muscles that control the iris spasm and put pressure on the top of the sinus cavities. This stimulates the sneeze response. I had it explained to me as analogous to the way a frog swallows - you ever notice how their eyes sink into their skulls to help push the food down? I was told that this is a similar mechanism. Who knows - maybe I was lied to?