Bodily functions

[prunesRplums]

Why do people sneeze?

[Clanad]

Our friends at That's Why It Happens says:

A sneeze is generally caused by irritation in the passages of the nose. Pollens, house dust, and other particles are usually harmless, but when they irritate the nose the body responds by expelling them from the nasal passages. The nose mistakes strong odors, sudden chills, and even bright lights (see photic sneeze reflex) for parasites, and it tries to defend itself with a sneeze. A sneezer exhales with a speed of up to 46 m/s (104 miles per hour). An unimpeded sneeze sends two to five thousand bacteria-filled droplets into the air.

It is almost impossible for a person to keep their eyelids open during a sneeze. The reflex of shutting the eyes serves no obvious purpose: the nerves serving the eyes and the nose are closely related, and stimuli to the one often trigger some response in the other.

Orgasms amongst humans can also cause sneezes.

That's what it says... honest!

[4getmenot]

They used to sadly do experiments on monkeys where they would hold their eyes open and make them sneeze making their eyes pop out.

[snook]

Is there nothing humans will not stoop to in order to pointlessly abuse animals? And yes, I know it's called research, but any thug found abusing a cat or dog could say it was just research - would that make it right?

[nancie]

anybody who hurts animals are sadistic murdering thugs and should be subject to standard law..

[4getmenot]

I cant see what their researching, surely if you cant open your eyes while you sneeze there is a reason and just to leave it that way.

[spacechimp]

They should have done it with cats or something.