Physiology and Hygiene for Secondary Schools

by Francis M. Walters

[pg 320]Respiration.—Efferent fibers connect the different muscles of respiration with a cluster of cell-bodies in the bulb, called the respiratory center. This center together with the nerves and muscles in question form an automatic, or self-acting, mechanism similar in some respects to that of the heart. Through the impulses passing from the respiratory center to the muscles, a rhythmic action is maintained sufficient to satisfy the usual needs of the body for oxygen. The demand of the body for oxygen, however, varies with its activities, and to such variations the respiratory center alone is unable to respond. The regulating factor in the respiratory movements has been found to be the condition of the blood with reference to the presence of oxygen and carbon dioxide. If the blood contains much carbon dioxide and little oxygen, it acts as a strong stimulus to the respiratory center, causing it, in turn, to stimulate the respiratory muscles with greater intensity and frequency. On the other hand, if the blood contains much oxygen and little carbon dioxide, it acts only as a mild stimulus. This explains how physical exercise increases the breathing, since the muscles at work consume more oxygen than when resting and give more carbon dioxide and other wastes to the blood.

The respiratory center is also connected by afferent nerves with the mucous membrane of the air passages. Irritation of the nerve endings in this membrane causes impulses to pass to the center, and this leads, by reflex action, to such modifications of the respiratory acts as sneezing and coughing. There is also a connection between the cerebrum and the respiratory center. This is shown by the fact that one can voluntarily change the rate and force of the respiratory movements, and further by the fact that emotions affect the breathing.

Regulation of the Body Temperature.—As explained in the study of the skin (page 270), the nervous system regulates the body temperature by controlling the circulation of the blood through the skin and the internal organs. This is accomplished by stimulating in a reflex manner the muscles in the walls of certain arteries. To prevent the body from getting too hot, muscles in the arteries going to the skin relax, thereby allowing more blood to flow to the surface, where the heat can be disposed of through radiation and through the evaporation of the perspiration. On the other hand, if the body is in danger of losing too much heat, the muscles in the walls of arteries going to the skin are made to contract and those to internal organs relax, so that less blood flows to the skin and more to the internal organs. In this[pg 321] way the nervous system adjusts the circulation to suit the conditions of temperature outside of and within the body and, in so doing, maintains the normal body temperature.

Summary.—The nervous system is able to control, coördinate, and adjust the different organs of the body through its intimate connection with all parts and through a stimulus (the nervous impulse) which it supplies and transmits. Nervous impulses, excited by external stimuli, follow definite paths and cause activity in the different parts of the body. All such pathways are through the central nervous system. In reflex action the impulses are mainly through the spinal cord, but to some extent through the bulb, pons, and midbrain. In voluntary action they pass through the cerebrum—a condition that leads to important modifications in the results. The cerebrum, in addition to controlling the voluntary movements, is able to establish the necessary conditions for secondary reflex actions, such as walking, writing, etc. Although certain of the divisions of the nervous system exercise special functions, all parts of it are closely related.

Exercises.—1. Give the function of each of the parts of a neuron.

2. State the purpose of the nervous impulse.

3. Show that the exciting cause of bodily action is outside of the nervous system and, to a large extent, outside of the body.

4. Describe the arrangement that enables stimuli outside of the body to cause action within the body.

5. Describe a reflex action and show how it is brought about.

6. Distinguish between afferent, efferent, and intermediate neurons.