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Asked by Obadialido to Caroline on 11 Jul 2017.
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Caroline Ogwang answered on 11 Jul 2017:
Hi Obadialido ,
The brain stem controls breathing. It does this by sending ongoing signals down your spine and to the muscles involved in breathing.
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Comments
Sammy commented on :
Hi Obadialido,
As Caroline points out, it is the brain stem that controls breathing (respiration generally).
If you were looking for a more scientific name… the brain stem contains: medulla oblongata, pons and the midbrain. Of these, it medulla oblongata specifically that regulates bodily processes that are controlled automatically eg blood pressure, heart rate and breathing. It does this by detecting carbon dioxide (CO2) and Oxygen (O2) levels in the bloodstream then sending nerve impulses to muscles in the heart and diaphragm, letting them know that they need to either step up their game, or slow down a bit.