Breathing is controlled by which part of the brain

Location Many tiny olfactory nerve fibers are embedded in your nose. The fibers merge together in the olfactory bulb, which is located above your nose. The nerve sends messages to the olfactory cortex, a region in the brain that distinguishes odors. The sense of smell also plays a major role in mediating the perception of taste. Location and Structure Each of your oculomotor nerves emerges from the midbrain, which is the upper region of the brainstem. Each oculomotor nerve travels through the cavernous sinus (a tunnel formed of bone) to the eye on the same side as the nerve. The oculomotor nerve divides into small branches, each of which sends messages to an individual muscle. A rare condition called glossopharyngeal neuralgia causes episodes of intermittent pain in the face or throat. It is not known how or why this condition develops. Vagus Nerve (Cranial Nerve 10) Your vagus nerve controls vital functions such as breathing, and it plays a role in controlling your heart function and digestion. This nerve provides parasympathetic stimulation throughout your body, which involves the release of hormones that allow your body to carry out functions of survival. Some professionals recognize an extracranial nerve called the terminal nerve, or cranial nerve zero. This nerve is a small, often microscopic, plexus of nerves near the olfactory nerve. Originally thought to support the function of smell, it is now known that the terminal nerve does not enter the olfactory bulb and doe...

You don't have to think about breathing because your body's autonomic nervous system controls it, as it does many other functions in your body. If you try to hold your breath, your body will override your action and force you to let out that breath and start breathing again. The respiratory centers that control your rate of breathing are in the brainstem or medulla. The nerve cells that live within these centers automatically send signals to the diaphragm and intercostal muscles to contract and relax at regular intervals. However, the activity of the respiratory centers can be influenced by these factors: • Oxygen: Specialized nerve cells within the aorta and carotid arteries called peripheral chemoreceptors monitor the oxygen concentration of the blood and feed back on the respiratory centers. If the oxygen concentration in the blood decreases, they tell the respiratory centers to increase the rate and depth of breathing. • Carbon dioxide: Peripheral chemoreceptors also monitor the carbon dioxide concentration in the blood. In addition, a central chemoreceptor in the medulla monitors the carbon dioxide concentration in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) that surrounds the brain and spinal cord; carbon dioxide diffuses easily into the CSF from the blood. If the carbon dioxide concentration gets too high, then both types of chemoreceptors signal the respiratory centers to increase the rate and depth of breathing. The increased rate of breathing returns the carbon dioxide concent...

The medulla oblongata helps regulate breathing, heart and blood vessel function, digestion, sneezing, and swallowing. This part of the brain is a center for respiration and circulation. Sensory and motor neurons (nerve cells) from the forebrain and midbrain travel through the medulla. The medulla oblongata receives its blood supply from several arteries, including the anterior spinal artery, posterior inferior cerebellar artery, and the vertebral artery’s direct branches. The medulla contains both myelinated and unmyelinated nerve fibers, also called white matter and gray matter, respectively. Last medically reviewed on January 20, 2018

Overview Central sleep apnea is a disorder in which your breathing repeatedly stops and starts during sleep. Central sleep apnea occurs because your brain doesn't send proper signals to the muscles that control your breathing. This condition is different from obstructive sleep apnea, in which you can't breathe normally because of upper airway obstruction. Central sleep apnea is less common than obstructive sleep apnea. Symptoms Common signs and symptoms of central sleep apnea include: • Observed episodes of not breathing or abnormal breathing patterns during sleep • Abrupt awakenings accompanied by shortness of breath • Difficulty staying asleep (insomnia) • Excessive daytime sleepiness (hypersomnia) • Difficulty concentrating • Mood changes • Morning headaches • Snoring Although snoring indicates some degree of airflow obstruction, snoring can also be heard in the presence of central sleep apnea. However, snoring may not be as prominent with central sleep apnea as it is with obstructive sleep apnea. When to see a doctor Consult a medical professional if you have — or if your partner notices — any signs or symptoms of central sleep apnea, particularly the following: • Shortness of breath that awakens you from sleep • Pauses in your breathing during sleep • Difficulty staying asleep • Excessive daytime drowsiness, which may cause you to fall asleep while you're working, watching television or even driving Ask your doctor about any sleep problem that leaves you chronically f...

We take roughly 20,000 breaths a day, mostly without thinking, but exactly how our breathing is controlled is a puzzle that has perplexed thinkers from Aristotle to Galen to modern physiologists. This universal mammalian instinct is still so poorly understood that there currently are no pharmacological treatments for human breathing disorders, like sleep apnea or sudden infant death syndrome. Kevin Yackle, MD, PhD Just as our heartbeat is controlled by pacemaker cells in the heart, our breathing is regulated by a cluster of a few thousand cells in the brainstem known as the preBötzinger Complex, or preBötC. Discovered in 1991, these cells are the center of breathing regulation. They send rhythmic signals to our spinal cord, which relays them to skeletal muscles, like the diaphragm, that expand our lungs. But the mechanisms by which this region of the brain regulates breathing are still a mystery, one that UC San Francisco physiologist Yackle, a Sandler Faculty Fellow, is trying to zero in on the specific cells of the preBötC that generate the breathing rhythm – though not all researchers in the field agree if such a breathing pacemaker exists. An Elusive Target Unlike the well-understood heart pacemaker, the breathing pacemaker has remained an elusive target. It’s not an easy subject to study. For one thing, breathing is a more complex behavior than the heartbeat: it can be voluntary or involuntary; it must be coordinated with speech, singing and swallowing; and it has dis...

All Subjects • Anatomy and Chemistry Basics • • • • • • • • • • • The Cell • • • • • • • • • Tissues • • • • • • • • • • The Integumentary System • • • • • • • • • • • Bones and Skeletal Tissues • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • The Skeletal System • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • Articulations • • • Muscle Tissue • • • • • • • • • • • • The Muscular System • • • • • • • • • Nervous Tissue • • • • • • • • • • • The Nervous System • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • The Sensory System • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • The Endocrine System • • • • • • • • • The Cardiovascular System • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • The Lymphatic System • • • • • • • • • The Immune System and Other Body Defenses • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • The Respiratory System • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • The Digestive System • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • The Urinary System • • • • • • • • • • • The Reproductive System • • • • • • • Anatomy and Physiology Quizzes Control of Respiration Respiration is controlled by these areas of the brain that stimulate the contraction of the diaphragm and the intercostal muscles. These areas, collectively called respiratory centers, are summarized here: • The medullary inspiratory center, located in the medulla oblongata, generates rhythmic nerve impulses that stimulate contraction of the inspiratory muscles (diaphragm and external intercostal muscles). Normally, expiration occurs when these muscles relax, but wh...

The brain connects to the spine and is part of the central nervous system (CNS). The various parts of the brain are responsible for personality, movement, breathing, and other crucial processes that keep people alive. An average adult brain weighs The brain is made up of three main parts, which are the cerebrum, cerebellum, and brain stem. Each of these has a unique function and is made up of several parts as well. Keep reading to learn more about the different parts of the brain, the processes they control, and how they all work together. This article also looks at some ways of maintaining a healthy brain. Share on Pinterest Andriy Onufriyenko/Getty Images The brain is the command center that controls the nervous system. When people damage different parts of the brain, they A traumatic brain injury or stroke are Doctors will carry out many tests before reaching a diagnosis of brain death. Brain death is a traumatic experience for everyone involved. It can be particularly difficult to come to terms with the diagnosis, especially if a person can see their loved one breathing and showing signs of life. The brain is composed of The brain sends chemical and electrical signals throughout the body to regulate different biological functions and sense environmental changes. The brain communicates with the majority of the body through the spinal cord. To do this, it uses The cerebrum is the front part of the brain and includes the cerebral cortex. This part of the brain is responsi...

Your autonomic nervous system is a network of nerves throughout your body that control unconscious processes. These are things that happen without you thinking about them, such as breathing and your heart beating. Your autonomic nervous system is always active, even when you’re asleep, and it’s key to your continued survival. Overview The autonomic nervous system manages body processes you don’t think about. Those processes include heartbeat, blood pressure, digestion and more. What is the autonomic nervous system? Your autonomic nervous system is a part of your overall Where does the autonomic nervous system fit in the overall structure of the nervous system? Your overall nervous system includes two main subsystems: • Central nervous system: This includes your brain (your retina and optic nerve in your eyes are considered part of your brain, structure-wise) and • Peripheral nervous system: This includes every part of your nervous system that isn’t your brain and spinal cord. Your peripheral nervous system also has two subsystems: • Somatic nervous system: This includes muscles you can control, plus all the nerves throughout your body that carry information from your senses. That sensory information includes • Autonomic nervous system: This is the part of your nervous system that connects your brain to most of your internal organs. Function What does the autonomic nervous system do? Your autonomic nervous system breaks down into three divisions, each with its own job: • Sy...

Overview Central sleep apnea is a disorder in which your breathing repeatedly stops and starts during sleep. Central sleep apnea occurs because your brain doesn't send proper signals to the muscles that control your breathing. This condition is different from obstructive sleep apnea, in which you can't breathe normally because of upper airway obstruction. Central sleep apnea is less common than obstructive sleep apnea. Symptoms Common signs and symptoms of central sleep apnea include: • Observed episodes of not breathing or abnormal breathing patterns during sleep • Abrupt awakenings accompanied by shortness of breath • Difficulty staying asleep (insomnia) • Excessive daytime sleepiness (hypersomnia) • Difficulty concentrating • Mood changes • Morning headaches • Snoring Although snoring indicates some degree of airflow obstruction, snoring can also be heard in the presence of central sleep apnea. However, snoring may not be as prominent with central sleep apnea as it is with obstructive sleep apnea. When to see a doctor Consult a medical professional if you have — or if your partner notices — any signs or symptoms of central sleep apnea, particularly the following: • Shortness of breath that awakens you from sleep • Pauses in your breathing during sleep • Difficulty staying asleep • Excessive daytime drowsiness, which may cause you to fall asleep while you're working, watching television or even driving Ask your doctor about any sleep problem that leaves you chronically f...

The brain connects to the spine and is part of the central nervous system (CNS). The various parts of the brain are responsible for personality, movement, breathing, and other crucial processes that keep people alive. An average adult brain weighs The brain is made up of three main parts, which are the cerebrum, cerebellum, and brain stem. Each of these has a unique function and is made up of several parts as well. Keep reading to learn more about the different parts of the brain, the processes they control, and how they all work together. This article also looks at some ways of maintaining a healthy brain. Share on Pinterest Andriy Onufriyenko/Getty Images The brain is the command center that controls the nervous system. When people damage different parts of the brain, they A traumatic brain injury or stroke are Doctors will carry out many tests before reaching a diagnosis of brain death. Brain death is a traumatic experience for everyone involved. It can be particularly difficult to come to terms with the diagnosis, especially if a person can see their loved one breathing and showing signs of life. The brain is composed of The brain sends chemical and electrical signals throughout the body to regulate different biological functions and sense environmental changes. The brain communicates with the majority of the body through the spinal cord. To do this, it uses The cerebrum is the front part of the brain and includes the cerebral cortex. This part of the brain is responsi...