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From: ccjoan@ucdavis.ucdavis.edu (Joan Gargano)
Newsgroups: sci.misc,sci.bio
Subject: Re: A Sneeze (AH-choo!) Question
Message-ID: <1751@ucdavis.ucdavis.edu>
Date: 14 Apr 88 17:11:52 GMT
References: <7756@alice.UUCP> <939@xn.LL.MIT.EDU> <11360@santra.UUCP> <6753@ames.arpa> <11869@santra.UUCP> <27047@yale-celray.yale.UUCP>
Reply-To: ccjoan@ucdavis.ucdavis.edu.UUCP (Joan Gargano)
Organization: University of California, Davis
Lines: 16
Keywords: sneeze

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
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