Neural Control Of Breathing: Understanding Respiratory Centers

Neural Control Of Breathing: Understanding Respiratory Centers

Describe nervous regulation of respiration. (or) Neural regulation of respiration. (or) Respiratory centers/ name the respiratory centers and describe their functions.
Answer:

Nervous Regulation of Respiration:

• It is brought about by.

1. Automatic control:

• Respiration is involuntary controlled by the respiratory centers.
• These respiratory centers are as follows.

2. Voluntary control:

• Respiration can be modified both in rate and/or depth at will for a specific period only.
• The pathway for such a control is via. Corticospinal tract originating from the cerebral cortex and end on spinal motor neurons.
• It innervates the respiratory group of muscles.

Regulation of inspiration:

• Inspiration is regulated by apneustic centre.
• Activation of apenustic centre causes stimulation of inspiratory centre.
• Inspiratory centre in turn sends impulses via spinal cord to the anterior horn cells.
• This results in inspiration.

Regulation of expiration:

1. Inspiratory neurons from the inspiration center sends excitatory impulses to `pneumotaxic’ center.
   • Pneumotaxic center sends inhibitory impulses to apenustic centre.
2. During inspiration, pulmonary stretch receptors are stimulated.
   • This send inhibitory impulses to apneustic centre via vagus nerve.
3. Pneumataxic centre.
   1. Stimulates expiratory centre.
   2. Inhibits inspiratory centre.
   3. Inhibits apneustic centre.
      • Thus inspiration is inhibited and expiration occurs passively.