You Asked ...WE ANSWERED! EXPERTS REVEAL THE SHOCKING TRUTH BEHIND THE MYSTERIES OF SCIENCE. How does my nose know when to sneeze sneeze, involuntary violent expiration of air through the nose and mouth. It results from stimulation of the nervous system in the nose, causing sudden contraction of the muscles of expiration. ? Tanya Conley, 14 Hattiesburg, Miss. The nose always knows! We depend on the old sniffer to take those breaths of oxygen we need to live. But with every breath we take, we also inhale unwanted particles like dust, pet hair, and pollen dancing in the air. As air moves up the nasal cavity nasal cavity n. The cavity on either side of the nasal septum, extending from the nares to the pharynx, and lying between the floor of the cranium and the roof of the mouth. nasal cavity, n See cavity, nasal. , nose hairs and mucus (a slimy, moisturizing substance inside the nose) collect these trespassers. When your body says enough is enough to the gross buildup, you inhale one deep breath, and your epiglottis epiglottis (ĕp'əglŏt`ĭs): see larynx. (e-pih-GLUH-tis), the flap at the back of the throat that keeps food from going down the windpipe windpipe: see trachea. , shuts close to seal off air passage. The muscles in your chest wall contract, compressing the air in your lungs. KABOOM! The tongue presses against the roof of the mouth, forcing the air to blast out your nose at speeds up to 160 meters (525 feet) per second to clear the obstruction. Now that's one explosive ACHOO ACHOO Autosomal Dominant Compelling Helio-Ophthalmic Outburst ! Gesundheit ge·sund·heit interj. Used to wish good health to a person who has just sneezed. [German, health, from Middle High German gesuntheit, from gesunt, healthy ! How do animals feel earthquakes before humans? Monica Carrillo, 13 Compton, Calif. So your cat suddenly disappears and your dog races madly, barking and howling ceaselessly. Uh-oh! Get ready to RUMBLE!!! Animal premonitions of earthquakes have been recorded as early as 469 B.C. But even today, scientists can't fully explain how animals know a quake is coming. Some scientists believe that the vast difference between animal and human senses may explain why some animals are more attuned at·tune tr.v. at·tuned, at·tun·ing, at·tunes 1. To bring into a harmonious or responsive relationship: an industry that is not attuned to market demands. 2. to subtle changes within the earth before a tremor hits. For example, dogs' wider hearing range can probably hear small vibrations in the shifting earth. Even earthworms crawl above ground and fishes jump out of water a few days before a big shake-up. These animals' finely tuned electroreceptors, detectors of electrical energy, might pick up sudden changes in Earth's electromagnetic field. Make sense? |
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