Question

A person was riding a two-wheeler without wearing a helmet. He met with an accident and sustained a head injury. He was dead before he was shifted to the hospital and it was found that his death was due to breathlessness and heart failure. Which part of his brain might have been damaged? Justify your answer.

Answer 1

The medulla oblongata is the primary respiratory control center. Its main function is to send signals to the muscles that control respiration to cause breathing to occur. There are two regions in the medulla that control respiration: the ventral respiratory group controls voluntarily forced exhalation and acts to increase the force of inspiration. The dorsal respiratory group controls mostly inspiratory movements and their timing.

Two nerves connected to the medulla oblongata regulate heart rate by either speeding it up or slowing it down.

So, in the accident, the medulla oblongata is damaged so which leads to breathlessness and heart failure.