Respiratory System In Relation to the Nervous System:




The Medulla is a part of the brain that controls basic body functions ranging from body temp. to heart rate. One of those basic functions is breathing. The respiratory is responsible for the actual breathing itself. Your breath control is not always standard rate. In higher and lower altitudes the oxygen level is decreases and increases. In higher altitude settings, you breath much faster and harder to get the same amount of oxygen as you would in your normal altitude. In lower the altitudes, the medulla slows your breath to get the same amount of oxygen as you would back home, which is quite the opposite from higher altitudes. The brain (Medulla) does all of this for us, a necessary precaution so that we don't get too much or too little oxygen, a key to survival.
external image ats37741_medulla_oblongata2.jpgIMG_0001.JPGIMG_0006.JPG
The medulla is right at the bottom of the brain and has easy access to the spinal cord to send messages for when to breathe.

Medulla Functions-
http://www.livestrong.com/article/69157-medulla-brain-functions/