The respiratory center (RC) is located in the medulla oblongata, which is the lowermost part of the brain stem. The RC receives controlling signals of neural, chemical and hormonal nature and controls the rate and depth of respiratory movements of the diaphragm and other respiratory muscles. Injury to this center may lead to central respiratory failure, which necessitates mechanical ventilation; usually the prognosis is grave.
In healthy individuals the presence of elevated carbon dioxide levels in the blood is the stimulant that the RC responds to in order to signal the respiratory muscles to breathe. Chemoreceptors found in carotid bodies and aortic bodies are responsible for detecting decrease in blood pH by this carbon dioxide.
Individuals who suffer from Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease usually have a chronically elevated level of carbon dioxide present in their blood due to their diminished lung function. As a result, their specific chemoreceptors become desensitised to the hypercapnia and instead respond to a decreased amount of oxygen present. This is known as hypoxic drive.
The groups of nerve cells in the brain which regulates the respiration rhythmically are collectively known as respiratory centers.
Read more about Respiratory Center: Respiratory Center Depression, See Also
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