Introduction:
The body can store many of the things it needs to function such as vitamins and food in the form of fat.
Oxygen is one item that cannot be stored in sufficient quantities for more than a few minutes. At rest, the
blood holds about a quart of dissolved oxygen, but it is continually being used by the cells to produce energy.
The lungs need to be constantly working to furnish a sufficient supply for various activities.
Human respiration rate is controlled by a part of the brain called the medulla. It sends signals to the body to
adjust the breathing speed to provide enough oxygen for every activity sleeping, eating, exercising, etc. The
level of carbon dioxide, not oxygen, in the blood is measured by the brain, which in turn makes needed
adjustments in the respiration rate. During exercise, the cells burn oxygen faster to produce more energy for
the body, which creates more carbon dioxide as a waste product. This increased carbon dioxide level is
detected by the brain, which signals for a higher respiration rate to provide more oxygen for the cells.
Breathing is an involuntary action controlled by the brain, but it can also be controlled voluntarily. Holding
your breath is one example. This can be done only for a few minutes before we become faint and the
involuntary control takes over and restores breathing to a normal rate.
Hyperventilating is abnormally rapid, deep breathing and usually occurs when anxiety or emotional stress
stimulates the part of the brain that regulates breathing. Kidney failure and diabetes may also cause
hyperventilation. Too much carbon dioxide is exhaled, leaving less in the blood. This causes the vessels to
constrict, decreasing the flow of blood. With too little blood reaching the brain, the person may become dizzy
and faint. Hyperventilation attacks may last a half hour. They can be controlled by trying to slow the
breathing rate. Exhaling into a paper bag and rebreathing the air can increase the carbon dioxide content in the
blood and shorten the attack.
Similar to the heart, the lungs have two ways to increase oxygen intake in response to a changing demand
during exercise. One is to breathe faster (respiratory rate) and the other is to breathe deeper (volume).
Problem:
Hypothesis: