Question

How is breathing controlled?

Answer 1

Breathing:

1. To facilitate gas exchange with the internal environment, breathing is the process of taking air into the lungs and then expelling it out of the lungs.
2. This process largely involves taking in oxygen and expelling carbon dioxide.
3. An infant breathes roughly 44 times per minute, while a normal adult breathes 12 to 16 times per minute with inspiration lasting about 2 seconds and expiration lasting about 3 seconds.
4. The bottom half of the brainstem, known as the medulla oblongata, runs parallel to the spinal cord; the pons makes up the upper half.
5. The medulla controls the autonomic (involuntary) activities of breathing, heart rate, and blood pressure since it houses the cardiac, respiratory, vomiting, and vasomotor centres.