Controlling Breathing

Question 1

What are the four respiratory reflexes that provide rapid automatic adjustments in pulmonary ventilation?

Answer 1

• chemoreceptors
• baroreceptors
• inflation/deflation reflexes
• protective reflexes

Question 2

What do chemoreceptors sense and what is the response?

Answer 2

They sense a change in the CO2 and pH level in the blood and adjust respiratory rate accordingly

Question 3

What do baroreceptors sensitive to?
Where are they located?
What is the response?

Answer 3

• they are sensitive to blood pressure
• they are located in the aorta and carotid artery
• when blood pressure decreases, this is sensed by the baroreceptors and the respiratory minute volume goes up
• when the blood pressure increases, this is sensed and the respiratory minute volume goes up

Question 4

Describe the inflation/deflation reflexes

Answer 4

as the lungs inflate or deflate, stretch receptors send afferent information to the brain and then the brain sends efferent information preventing them from stretching too far either way

Question 5

Describe the protective reflexes

Answer 5

the receptors detect irritation and efferent signals are sent which triggers a sneeze or a cough