Yawning: The Power of a Single Word

Intro:
The power of a single word…one of life’s greatest mysteries. The ability to affect an entire crowd by uttering a distinct expression…do you know what word I’m talking about? It’s the word… Yawn. Believe it or not, yawning is one of the most googled phenomenons in the world. As a frequent yawner, I often question the mysterious bodily function. Without thinking about it, I can see or hear someone yawn, yearn to replicate the action, and before I know it, my mouth is agape. In fact, I’ve caught myself yawning involuntarily while talking on the phone to some of my most exciting friends. I’m pretty sure what I heard at the other end of the phone was a contagious yawn from the ever-so entertaining counterpart. All of you have experienced yawning, but many do not know its purpose, which is why I am here to inform you about why we yawn, why it is contagious, and how it benefits the body.

Body:
There are several reasons why we yawn, and those reasons have puzzled scientists for years.
After completing many experiments, Andrew C. Gallup, a postdoctoral research associate at Princeton University, concluded that yawning cools the brain.
Gallup explains to WebMD that when you begin to yawn, the stretching of your jaw increases blood flow in the neck, face, and head.
The deep inhalation of breath that comes with a yawn drives the flow of spinal fluid and blood to the brain.
Cool air that is breathed in lowers the temperature of these fluids, therefore cooling the brain.
Scientists have tested Andrew Gallup’s idea by conducting experiments with humans, and they found people yawn more frequently in cooler settings.
Along with cooling the brain, yawning also acts as a way to “rev up” the brain so it can function to its full potential and maintain mental efficiency.
You might often find yourself yawning while you are highly focused on an activity. Best Health- Canada’s website explains that by yawning while you are concentrated, your body is stimulating a neural area of the brain. This neural area plays an immense role in being more conscious and self-reflective.
The deep breaths taken during a yawn also slow the brain waves. This aids in relaxation, alertness, and maintaining a good memory, which are all key components to performing to your best ability on homework, an AP test, or any other task.
An aspect of the brain performing at optimal level is reacting to dangerous or uncomfortable situations. Research done at Drexel University in the Department of Psychology shows that the amygdala, a part of the brain associated with fear and heightened attention, tells our body to yawn when we are in new situations. This is why you might yawn before a speech, singing solo, or a sporting event.
The third of many reasons explaining why we yawn is that yawning is vital to the lungs.
According to the Kid’s Health website, yawning is a protective reflex that distributes an oil-like fluid called surfactant. Surfactant keeps the lungs lubricated and prevents the lungs from collapsing.
Dr. Oliver Walasinski says the act of yawning also improves the lungs’ functions by ensuring the reinflation of collapsed airways and alveoli.
These facts suggest that without yawning, breathing would progressively become harder to do!
Transition: Now that you know yawning is not just sign of boredom or disrespect, you might have more questions about the bodily function. Often it only takes someone to see or hear another person yawn, and they begin to yawn, too!
There are a number of explanations to why yawning is contagious.
One of these reasons is the brain’s mirror neuron system.
The mirror neuron system is located in the inferior frontal cortex and the superior parietal lobe. A mirror neuron activates both when a person performs an act and when the person observes the same action being done by someone else. In Layman’s terms, we know this as “Monkey see, monkey do.”
The American Psychological Association’s website explains that these mirror neurons are what make us feel sympathetic when we see someone get hurt or feel excited as we watch a runner cross the finish line. The idea here is mirror neurons lead to empathetic cues that trigger contagious yawning.
Most people with autism or schizophrenia do not exhibit a yawn-contagion response, says neuroscientist Giacomo Rizzolatti. This is also true for children under the age of four. The mirror neurons are either not fully developed or are unable to function to their full ability, making it almost impossible to imitate an action such as yawning.
Coinciding with the mirror neuron system in our brains, there is also a much simpler explanation for the contagion-- social bonding.
Molly Helt, a student in clinical psychology at the University of Connecticut, says emotional contagion has existed for a long time and seems to bind us together.
Like contagious laughter and crying, yawning is a shared experience and can promote unconscious emotional linkage to those around you.

Transition: After establishing the purpose of yawning and taking a closer look at why it is contagious, it is essential to understand the benefits of yawning.

There are many benefits that yawning brings to our body.
When yawning, we fill our lungs with more oxygen.
The Doctors Health Press website claims oxygen filling the lungs removes build-up of carbon dioxide. This is clearly illustrated as a benefit, because too much carbon dioxide in the body can cause respiratory failure and can harm your organs.
This might explain why people tend to yawn more in larger groups. More people produce more carbon dioxide, meaning your body needs more oxygen to compensate.
In addition to reducing the carbon dioxide in your body, yawning also acts as a “reset button.”
The Kid’s Health Website shows that when you yawn, you help regulate your body’s circadian rhythm, or the 24-hour cycle of human behavior and activity. This is helpful when you wake up and need to conquer the Monday after spring break.
Yawning also stimulates the neuromuscular system. When the neuromuscular system is aroused, this wakes up your muscles and your brain when you get out of bed.

Bibliography: http://news.discovery.com/human/health/yawning-social-behavior.htm http://www.besthealthmag.ca/best-you/health/why-do-we-yawn/ http://www.webmd.com/brain/news/20110923/why-we-yawn http://kidshealth.org/en/kids/yawn.html http://www.breathing.com/articles/yawning.htm https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/the-athletes-way/201403/why-is-yawning-so-contagious http://www.apa.org/monitor/oct05/mirror.aspx

Conclusion:
It may seem like a lot has happened in the last 6 minutes, but it all comes back to the intriguing phenomenon of yawning. The concept of yawning can be broken down into many parts, such as the reasons why we yawn, why it is so contagious, and how it benefits the body. You now know that it is only a misconception that we yawn when we are bored or uninterested, no matter how boring your mom’s lecture may be. The next time you are on the phone with a friend and you catch yourself yawning, it is most likely not because you are bored of the conversation. The power of a yawn just may be the secret to keeping you and your brain in peak form.