RESPIRATORY CENTER

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does respiratory center mean? 

• RESPIRATORY CENTER (noun)
  The noun RESPIRATORY CENTER has 1 sense:

1. the center in the medulla oblongata and pons that integrates sensory information about the level of oxygen and carbon dioxide in the blood and determines the signals to be sent to the respiratory muscles

  Familiarity information: RESPIRATORY CENTER used as a noun is very rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• RESPIRATORY CENTER (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

The center in the medulla oblongata and pons that integrates sensory information about the level of oxygen and carbon dioxide in the blood and determines the signals to be sent to the respiratory muscles

Classified under:

Nouns denoting body parts

Hypernyms ("respiratory center" is a kind of...):

center; centre; nerve center; nerve centre (a cluster of nerve cells governing a specific bodily process)

Holonyms ("respiratory center" is a part of...):

bulb; medulla; medulla oblongata (lower or hindmost part of the brain; continuous with spinal cord; ('bulb' is an old term for medulla oblongata))

pons; pons Varolii (a band of nerve fibers linking the medulla oblongata and the cerebellum with the midbrain)

 Context examples 

This leads to stimulation of medullary, vagal, vasomotor, and respiratory centers in the brain; and the release of epinephrine.

(Caffeine, NCI Thesaurus)

Doxapram hydrochloride stimulates respiration by an action on chemoreceptors in the carotid arteries and, at increased dosage, stimulates central respiratory centers in the medulla as well as other parts of the brain and spinal cord.

(Doxapram Hydrochloride, NCI Thesaurus)