Arterial Blood Gases and Control of Respiration Flashcards
Where is the medulla oblongata located in the brain?
- brainstem
Where are the pons located in the brain?
- above the medulla oblongata
What are the 3 main parts of the brainstem?
- midbrain
- pons
- medulla oblongata
What is the order of the midbrain, pons and medulla oblongata from top to bottom?
- midbrain - pons - medulla oblongata
Where is the dorsal respiratory group located?
- dorsal = back
- back of medulla oblongata
Where is the ventral respiratory group located?
- ventral = front
- front of medulla oblongata
- below the pre-botzinger complex
What is the main role of the dorsal respiratory group of the medulla oblongata?
- controls inspiration
- receives receptor info due to close proximity to central chemoreceptors
- transmits central chemoreceptors info to Ventral respiratory group
What is the main role of the ventral respiratory group of the medulla oblongata?
- initiate inspiration and expiration
- during exercise and active exhalation
- controls diaphragm and external intercostals
What are the 2 main roles of the Pontine Respiratory Centres, which consists of the pneumotaxic and apneuistic centres?
1 - inhibit inspiration = pneumotaxic centre
2 - initiate inspiration = apneuistic centre
Where are the pneumotaxic and apneustic centres located in the brainstem?
- pons
Out of the pneumotaxic and apneustic centres located in the pons, which is higher?
- upper pons = pneumotaxic centre - lower pons = apneustic centre
What is the role of the pneumotaxic centre in the upper pons?
- control pattern and rate of breathing
- inhibit inspiration
- linked to stretch receptors, important so lungs cannot over inflate
What is the role of the apneustic centre in the lower pons?
- promote inspiration - controls intensity of breathing
Where does the apneustic centre in the lower pons signal in the medulla oblongata?
- dorsal respiratory group to intitate inspiration
- ventral respiratory group to initiate inspiration and expiration
What part of the brain stem is the equivalent of the pace maker in the heart for breathing?
- pre-Botzinger complex
Where is the pre-Botzinger complex located?
- in the brainstem - part of the ventral respiratory group
What are interneurons?
- neurons able to communicate between the CNS and sensory/somatic motor neurons
What is the pre-Botzinger complex?
- cluster of interneurons
Which part of the pons would activate the respiratory system if someone were to begin hyperventilating, with the aim of slowing down breathing?
- hyperventilating = fast breathing - pneumotaxic centre inhibits breathing - allows expiration
What is involuntary respiration?
- breathing subconsciously - when we are asleep
If we need to increase or decrease CO2 or O2 the dorsal respiratory group will innervate which muscles of the thoracic cavity?
- diaphragm - external intercostal muscles - mainly during rest
If we need to increase or decrease CO2 or O2 during exercise the ventral respiratory group will innervate which muscles of the thoracic cavity?
- internal intercostal muscles - activated during active exhalation - exercise for example
If CO2 increases what happens to pH in the blood?
- blood ph will ⬇️
How does breathing change in an attempt to reduce CO2?
- apneustic centre signals DRG to increase inspiration
- central chemoreceptors signal increased activity from DRG
- ⬆️ respiratory rate
- ⬆️ breather depth
- removes more CO2
Does emotional input affect breathing?
- yes
How is Yoga an example of voluntary control of breathing?
- yoga encourages slow deep breathes
How does pain affect breathing?
- pain can ⬆️ respiratory rate and depth - pain management encourages ⬇️ respiratory rate
How does emotion affect breathing?
- irregular breathing - poor ventilation
How does an increase in temperature affect breathing?
- ⬆️ temperature = ⬆️ respiratory rate
- increased O2 demand (exercise)
- we breath out hot air/moisture
- enzymes may not be as effective
How does an decrease in temperature affect breathing?
- ⬇️ temperature = ⬇️ respiratory rate
- cold air enters lungs
- compliance is ⬇️ and elasticity ⬆️
- enzymes may not be as effective
In emotional input on breathing, is it the pons or the medulla oblongata that innervate first?
- pons stimulate medulla oblongata
- both penumotaxic and apneustic centres are stimulated
What are mechanoreceptors?
- sensors in the body - able to detect changes in CO2, O2 and pH
Where are the central chemoreceptor located?
- ventrolateral surface of medulla oblongata
- behind the dorsal respiratory group
What fluid does the central chemoreceptor monitor, and what changes does it generally monitor?
- senses changes in cerebrospinal fluid - generally changes in pH
What are the names of the 2 peripheral chemoreceptors
1 - aortic bodies
2 - carotid bodies
Where is the carotid body peripheral mechanoreceptors located?
- carotid sinus - where pulse is felt
Where is the aortic body peripheral mechanoreceptors located?
- aortic arch
What is the role of the carotid and aortic chemoreceptors?
- detect changes in PCO2 and PO2
- carotid also detects pH
- initiate ⬆️ or ⬇️ respiratory rate
Do the carotid and aortic body chemoreceptors work in isolation?
- No - they are back up for each other
Are H+ and HCO3- able to cross the blood brain barrier?
- no
If PCO2 increases in the brain what does this do to the pH of the cerebrospinal fluid?
- ⬇️ pH
If there is an ⬆️ in PCO2 and a ⬇️ in pH in the cerebrospinal fluid, what is the bodies response?
- central chemoreceptors signal increased DRG activity
- ⬆️ DRG activity = ⬆️ respiratory rate
- DRG signals VRG = ⬆️ respiratory rate
- aim is to ⬆️ O2 and ⬇️ CO2
When we exercise, what is the initial response to the respiratory system and where do the receptors in the active muscles signal?
- Skeletal muscles signal to pons and medulla oblongata
- apneustic centre signals VRG and DRG to increase inspiration
- ⬆️ respiratory rate allows ⬆️ ventilation
Following the initial ⬆️ in respiratory rate to increase ventilation as we exercise, what happens to breathing depth and frequency if exercise continues?
- skeletal muscles signal to pons and medulla oblongata
- respiratory rate ⬇️, but still more than normal
- ⬆️ ventilation = ⬆️ O2 inspire and ⬆️ CO2 expired (like hyperventialtion)
During exercise, is it more efficient to ⬆️ tidal volume or respiratory rate to ⬆️ ventialtion?
- ⬆️ tidal volume
- provides increased time for gas exchange
What are irritant receptors in the lungs?
- receptors located between epithelial cell
- cold air, dust or dangerous gases can trigger these
- trigger a cough to remove irritants
- initiate hyperresponsiveness (type I hypersensitivity)
What are some responses if the irritant receptors in the lungs are activated?
- hyperpnea (rapid and deep breathes)
- coughing, sneezing and mucus production
- vasoconstriction of bronchi