What is a yawn?
Q: What is a yawn?
A: A yawn is a reflex that involves taking in a large amount of air, stretching of eardrums as the jaw opens wide, and a (sometimes loud) breathing out.
Q: What is pandiculation?
A: Pandiculation is the act of yawning and stretching simultaneously.
Q: Why do people yawn?
A: No-one knows for sure what the function of yawning is, but it is commonly associated with tiredness, stress, overwork, lack of stimulation, and boredom.
Q: What can trigger yawning in humans?
A: Yawning is often triggered by others yawning (e.g. seeing a person yawning, talking to someone on the phone who is yawning) and is a typical example of positive feedback.
Q: Have other animals been observed yawning?
A: Yes, "infectious" yawning has been observed in chimpanzees and dogs.
Q: Do cats yawn and stretch?
A: Yes, cats yawn and stretch, but not necessarily at the same time.
Q: What happens to eardrums during a yawn?
A: Eardrums stretch as the jaw opens wide during a yawn.
