Control of respiration

Control of ventilation refers to the physiological mechanisms involved in the control of physiologic ventilation, which refers to the movement of air into and out of the lungs. Ventilation facilitates respiration. Respiration refers to the utilization of oxygen and production of carbon dioxide by the body as a whole, or by individual cells. Under most conditions, the partial pressure of carbon dioxide (${\displaystyle P_{{\mathrm {CO} }_{2}}}$) controls the rate of pulmonary ventilation.

The most important function of breathing is blood gas homeostasis (i.e. the regulation of the partial pressures of oxygen, ${\displaystyle P_{{\mathrm {O} }_{2}}}$, and carbon dioxide, ${\displaystyle P_{{\mathrm {CO} }_{2}}}$, in the arterial blood). The effector of this homeostat is centered primarily on the manner in which the lungs are ventilated.

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