Question

What triggers your body to take a breath? Explain what part of the brain stimulates breathing and what aspects of body chemistry are important in controlling the rate and depth of your breathing.

Answer 1

The high carbon dioxide levels trigger the body to breath. Besides low oxygen level is also responsible for the same.

The medullary inspiratory center helps in inspiration by sending signal to contract the inspiratory muscles like diaphragm and intercoastal muscles.

Pneumotaxic area in pons inhibits the MIC thus preventing overinflation of lungs.

Apneustic area in pons also helps in increaing the depth of respiration by prolonging the contraction of respiratory muscles through medullary inspiratory centre.

The central chemoreceptors in the medulla oblongata also helps in regulation of respiration by assessing the ph of cerebrospinal fluid ,if the ph is low means there is high co2 it will stimulate the respiration .

Similarly the peripehral chemoreceptors i.e aortic bodies and carotid bodies kn aortic arch and carotid arteries also helps in regualtion of repsiration by monitoring the pH of blood.

Some stretch receptors are also present in the arterioles of lungs which also helps in regulation of respirarion by monitoring the lung inflation.