Title: THE PHYSIOLOGY OF CHEMORECEPTION IN THE CAROTID BODY
Abstract: This chapter focuses on the physiology of chemoreception in the carotid body. The carotid body is considered as being a peripheral chemoreceptor, which transduces changes in arterial pO2 and arterial pCO2 or pH into nervous signals. Regarding the different cell types of the carotid body tissue as a complex that collaborates in the chemoreceptive process, it can be assumed that a pO2- or pCO2-dependent transmitter release from the type-I cells excites nerve fibers, which are synaptically connected to these cells. O2 and CO2 are transported by the capillary blood flow to the chemoreceptor complex, producing specific strimuli. This chapter discusses the way by which pO2 and blood flow are involved in the chemoreceptive process or the carotid body. The chapter describes an experiment in which despite the well-known small AVpO2 difference, the mean tissue pO2 was 25 mmHg in the cat and 7 mmHg for the rabbit. These results demonstrate that the carotid body possesses mechanisms to produce low tissue pO2 values resembling a tissue hypoxia.
Publication Year: 1981
Publication Date: 1981-01-01
Language: en
Type: book-chapter
Indexed In: ['crossref']
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Cited By Count: 1
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