Control of Breathing Flashcards
– Describe the neural mechanisms that establish the respiratory rhythm – Distinguish between the respiratory centers that establish the rhythm and those that regulate the rhythm – Explain the role of peripheral & central chemoreceptors in the control of ventilation – Delineate the ventilatory responses to hypoxemia & hypercapnia
Components of the respiratory control system - integrator
-neural network in the brainstem
Components of the respiratory control system - sensor
- main = chemosensors sensing changes in CO2, O2 and pH
- contributors = lungs, cardiovascular, skeletal muscles, tendons of respiratory muscles
Components of the respiratory control system - effector
-respiratory muscles
Inspiration = diaphragm and external intercostals
Expiration = internal intercostals & abdominal
Respiratory control system response to stimulus (increase in PCO2)
1) Arterial blood PCO2 increases (or decreasing pH or PO2)
2) Detected by central chemo-receptors in the medulla and peripheral chemoreceptors in aortic and carotid bodies
3) Send input via nerve impulses to inspiratory area in medualla oblongata
4) Send output via nerve impulses to effectors the diaphragm and other muscles of respiration - these contract more forcefully and more frequently (hyperventillation)
5) Decrease in arterial blood PCO2 and increase in pH and PO2
- feedbacks to chemoreceptors = return to homeostasi, shuts systemm down
Components of neural control (3)
- Factors that generate alternating inspiration/expiration rhythm
- Factors that regulate the magnitude of ventilation (rate and depth)
- Factors that modify resp. activity for other purposes - speech, cough, sneeze
Model of respiratory control during quiet breathing
- Sensory input from central chemoreceptors, peripheral chemoreceptors, pulmonary stretch receptors, irritant receptors, proprioreceptors as well as the pons and cortex (vouluntary control)
- Info goes to the medulla - inspiratory neurons of DRG and VRG
- Sends out info to effectors that dictate the breathing rhythm
Respiratory muscles and their inervation + how do nerves fire and for what purpose
1 Inspiration:
a) diaphragm - phrenic nerve
b) external intercostal muscle - external intercostal nerve
2. Expiration:
- internal intercostal - internal intercostal nerve
Fire in oscillating patterns (so get contraction and relaxation - producing inspiration and expiration respectively i.e. oscillating increase/decrease in tension and increase/decrease in volume)
Inspiration quiet breathing vs. active ventiallation
- Frequency of firing (both phrenic nerve and external intercostal nerve) increases during active ventillation
- causes inspiraotry muscle tension to increase
- and thereby increases lung volume
Expiration quiet breathing vs. active ventillation
- no firing of internal intercostal nerve during quiet, fires during active ventillation
- therefore no expiratory muscle tension in quiet and oscillating in active
- lung volume inscreased during active
Components that generate the breathing rhythm (2 control centers)
1) Respiratory control centers of medulla
2) Respiratory control centers of pons
Medullary respiratory neurons (rhythmicity center) - 2 groups of neurons + their function
1) The dorsal respiratory group (DRG)
2) the ventral respiratory group (VRG)
-2 groups are bilaterally paired
-cross communication between them
Both are responsible for initiation and regulation of breathing
Dorsal respiratory group (DRG) function
- inspiratory neurons
- discharge during inspiration & stop discharging during expiration
Ramp signal
- generated by the DRG
- a weak burst of APs that gradually increase in amplitude then ceases for the next 3 sec until a new cycle begins
- functions to initiate inspiration + provides a gradual increase in lung volume during inspiration
Ventral respiratory group (VRG) -when active
-activated during heavy breathing (i.e. exercise) due to increased activity of inspiratory neurons during these conditions
Role of activated VRG
- discharge signal that
i) inhibits inspiratory group
ii) stimulates muscles of expiration
Pontine respiratory centre components
- 2 pontine centres that modify the rate & pattern of respiration
a) apneustic centre
b) pneumotaxic centre
Apneustic centre location
- in the lower 1/3 of pons
- close to medullary groups
Apneustic centre function
- sends stimulatory discharge to inspiratory neurons (dorsal respiratory group i.e. vagus and glossopharyngeal, and ventral respi group) -promoting inspiration
- removal of its stimulatory effect = respiration becomes shallow and irregular