Ingabe izinja ziyaphupha?

Isakhiwo sokulala sezilwane ezifuywayo sifana kakhulu nesabantu: njengabantu, izinja zinezigaba zokulala kwe-REM (ukulala kokunyakaza kwamehlo okusheshayo) futhi zilala ngaphandle kokunyakaza kwamehlo okusheshayo. Lokhu kubonakala kumangalisa, ngoba izinja zilala amahora angu-16-18 ngosuku. Ephephabhukwini elithi "Physiological Behavior" ngo-1977, umbiko wanyatheliswa ososayensi abahlola umsebenzi kagesi wobuchopho bezinja eziyisithupha. Ososayensi bathole ukuthi izinja zichitha u-21% wobuthongo bazo ku-naps, u-12% ebuthongweni be-REM, kanye no-23% wesikhathi sazo ebuthongweni obujulile. Isikhathi esisele (44%) izinja bezivukile.

Esigabeni sokulala kwe-REM ezinjeni, izinkophe, izidladla ziyanyakaza, futhi ziyakwazi ukwenza imisindo. Kukulesi sigaba lapho abangani bomuntu abakhulu bebona khona amaphupho.

UMatthew Wilson, uchwepheshe we-MIT wokufunda nokukhumbula, waqala ukucwaninga amaphupho ezilwane eminyakeni engaphezu kwengu-20 edlule. Ngo-2001, iqembu labacwaningi eliholwa nguWilson bathola ukuthi amagundane ayaphupha. Okokuqala, ososayensi baqopha ukusebenza kwama-neuron obuchopho bamagundane njengoba bedlula ku-maze. Ngemuva kwalokho bathola amasiginali afanayo kuma-neurons ekulaleni kwe-REM. Engxenyeni yezigameko, ubuchopho bamagundane busebenze ekulaleni kwe-REM ngendlela efanayo nalapho edlula ku-maze. Kwakungekho phutha kulokhu, njengoba amasignali avela ebuchosheni ayedlula ngesivinini esifanayo nokuqina njengalapho ephaphama. Lolu cwaningo lwaba ukutholwa okukhulu futhi lwashicilelwa ngo-2001 kumagazini i-Neuron.

Ngakho, amagundane anikeza izwe lesayensi isizathu sokukholelwa ukuthi zonke izilwane ezincelisayo zingaphupha, omunye umbuzo uwukuthi ziyawakhumbula yini amaphupho. UWilson kwenye inkulumo waze wathi: “Ngisho nezimpukane zingaphupha ngandlela thize.” Amaqiniso anjalo ayashaqisa, akunjalo?

Ngemva kwalokho, uWilson nethimba lakhe lososayensi baqala ukuhlola ezinye izilwane ezincelisayo, kuhlanganise nezinja.

Ucwaningo lokulala ngokuvamile luphakamisa ukuthi ubuchopho buvame ukusebenzisa ukulala ukuze kucutshungulwe ulwazi olutholwe phakathi nosuku. Isazi sokusebenza kwengqondo saseHarvard Medical School uDeirdre Barrett engxoxweni abe nayo nephephabhuku iPeople ukuthi izinja zivame ukuphupha ngabaninizo, futhi lokho kunengqondo.

“Asikho isizathu sokukholelwa ukuthi izilwane zihlukile kithina. Ngenxa yokuthi izinja zivame ukunamathela kakhulu kubanikazi bazo, maningi amathuba okuthi inja yakho iphuphe ubuso bakho, ikunuke, futhi ijabulele ukukubangela izicefe ezincane,” kusho uBarrett. 

Izinja ziphupha ngokukhathazeka kwazo okujwayelekile: zingagijima epaki, zidle izibiliboco, noma zigone nezinye izilwane ezifuywayo. Ososayensi bathi kaningi izinja ziphupha ngabanikazi bazo: zidlala nabo, zizwe iphunga nenkulumo yakhe. Futhi, njengezinsuku zezinja ezijwayelekile, amaphupho angajabulisa, azole, adabuke, noma asabise.

Inja yakho ingase ibe nephupho elibi uma icindezelekile, ikhala noma igquma ebuthongweni bayo. Kodwa-ke, ochwepheshe abaningi abancomi ukuvusa isilwane sakho kuleli phuzu, singase sesabe. Ngisho nabantu ngemva kwamaphupho athile badinga imizuzwana ukuze babone ukuthi leli phupho elibi laliyiphupho nje futhi manje baphephile.

Siziphatha kanjani isilwane sakho uma ulele? Ucabanga ukuthi uphupha ngani?